This is something we haven’t heard of before. Two games on the Steam PC shop pretended to be Helldivers 2 in order to trick customers into purchasing them.
Two independent games, Figurality by SoleOnBoard Studio and Do Not Smile by Whitehole Games, had their Steam pages drastically altered earlier today to mimic the page for the well-known cooperative shooter. Every piece of metadata, such as the screenshots, publisher and developer details, game title, and description, was altered. As a result, three nearly identical Steam listings for Helldivers 2 seemed to exist.
One way to distinguish between them was by looking at the number of reviews, which tended to be significantly lower for the imitators compared to the original, as well as the release dates. The counterfeit items were sold at a lower price than the authentic game, which could mislead consumers into believing they were getting a good deal.
Thankfully, the perpetrators were found and have been removed. It seems that both game pages were edited simultaneously, indicating that a single individual or group was behind both changes.
This new scam is quite unique, although it’s conceivable that it may have occurred before without being exposed. There are concerns about the ability to change a game’s publisher and developer name, suggesting a need for better monitoring and control.
Hopefully, this situation didn’t affect too many individuals. Those who accidentally purchased a counterfeit version can seek a refund through Steam. Have you been a victim of this unusual scam? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.
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