The indie game Schedule I faces copyright infringement claims, but the accuser's own titles are now being hit with a wave of negative user reviews. Learn more about the allegation and what's next for Schedule I's development.
Latest News on Schedule I
Schedule I Copyright Accuser Targeted by Steam Review Bombing
Schedule I, an indie drug dealing simulator, is facing copyright infringement allegations from Movie Games S.A., the studio behind The Drug Dealer Simulator series. As reported by the Polish Press Agency on April 3, Movie Games S.A. completed a legal review and believes Schedule I may have infringed upon their intellectual property. Their findings suggest similarities in narrative, game mechanics, and user interface design.
Although no official rulings have been made, fans have quickly taken sides, with support leaning toward Schedule I. Both The Drug Dealer Simulator and its sequel have been flooded with negative Steam reviews, resulting in "Overwhelmingly Negative" and "Mostly Negative" recent ratings respectively.
Many of the negative reviews accuse Movie Games S.A. of bullying a smaller developer and acting hypocritically, noting that other similar games existed before Schedule I without facing legal challenges. This backlash occurs despite the series previously being praised by critics and players as a standout in the crime management genre.
Schedule I is a cooperative crime sim where players begin as low-level street dealers and climb the ranks to become crime bosses. It launched in Early Access on PC on March 25 and has earned an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating on Steam. Currently ranked as Steam's #2 top-selling game, it has outperformed popular titles like inZOI, Monster Hunter Wilds, and the indie game R.E.P.O. SteamDB records show Schedule I reached an all-time peak of 459,075 concurrent players.
Here at Game8, we found Schedule I to be an unexpectedly compelling and satisfying experience, essentially a "Breaking Bad" simulator. For our full take on the Early Access release, read our detailed coverage below!
