Steam Faces Escalating Spam and Stolen Game Crisis

A new report has shed light on a growing problem plaguing Steam, the largest digital storefront for PC games — the platform is increasingly overrun by shovelware, spam, and even stolen titles from other marketplaces.

While issues with low-effort, mass-published games have long affected platforms like the PlayStation Store and Nintendo eShop, the situation on Steam appears to be reaching a critical point, especially with the rise of generative AI enabling more deceptive asset flips than ever before.

🧩 What’s Causing the Problem?

The rise of AI-generated art and assets has made it easier than ever for unscrupulous creators to flood digital storefronts with asset flips — cheaply produced games cobbled together using pre-made or stolen resources, often mimicking popular titles to fool unsuspecting buyers.

But on Steam, the issue has now escalated beyond low-effort games. A recent investigation by Gamepressure has uncovered that a mysterious publisher — listed simply as “me” or “myself” — has uploaded nearly 70 games to Steam, many of which appear to be direct copies of indie games originally published on Itch.io.

🔍 Notable Cases of Theft

Several small indie developers have reported their games being stolen and resold on Steam without permission. Some examples include:

• HardCop 2 (originally by Tokagrien)
• Dungeon Minesweeper Chronicles (by Aftertea_time)
• Open Star Fighter (by thelastflapjack)

While some of these games have since been taken down, removal efforts have largely been reactive, with Valve responding only after developers filed complaints — rather than proactively addressing the issue or penalizing the fraudulent publisher.

Alarmingly, the publisher’s Steam profile remains active, raising serious concerns about Steam’s enforcement practices and its support for independent developers.

⚠️ Broader Industry Problem

Although platforms like PlayStation and Nintendo have been widely criticized for shovelware, Steam’s apparent lack of moderation around game theft and reselling makes its version of the problem particularly damaging. It allows bad actors to exploit the work of small creators, potentially profiting off stolen content while legitimate developers fight to have their own games reinstated or protected.

Until Valve takes more decisive action, the burden falls on developers and the community to report stolen games and raise awareness. But the current state of affairs signals a growing need for stronger protections, better moderation tools, and greater accountability on digital storefronts.