In a surprising twist of events, indie game Schedule I, a co-op crime simulation where players rise from small-time dope pushers to kingpins, has found itself at the center of a copyright infringement controversy. The accuser, Movie Games S.A., developers of the The Drug Dealer Simulator series, allege that Schedule I has infringed upon their intellectual property rights by borrowing plot, mechanics, and user interface elements. The Polish Press Agency reported on April 3 that Movie Games S.A. completed their legal analysis, pointing fingers at Schedule I for these alleged violations.
Despite no official verdict yet, the gaming community has taken sides, and it appears that Schedule I enjoys more support. In a turn of events, The Drug Dealer Simulator and Drug Dealer Simulator 2 have been hit with a wave of negative reviews on Steam, now labeled as "Overwhelmingly Negative" and "Mostly Negative" respectively. Many of these reviews criticize Movie Games S.A. for what's perceived as bullying the indie developer and highlight their hypocrisy, noting that similar titles were not contested until Schedule I's release. This backlash is noteworthy, given that the The Drug Dealer Simulator series has been widely acclaimed as one of the best criminal management games.
Since its Early Access launch on PC on March 25, Schedule I has been a massive hit, achieving "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam and becoming the platform's second top-selling game. It has surpassed notable titles like inZOI, Monster Hunter Wilds, and the indie-developed R.E.P.O., with an all-time peak of 459,075 concurrent players, according to SteamDB.
Here at Game8, we found Schedule I to be a surprisingly addictive and rewarding experience, earning it the nickname "Breaking Bad" simulator. For a deeper dive into our thoughts on Schedule I's early access release, be sure to check out our detailed article below!
Schedule I Recent Updates
Schedule I’s Copyright Infringement Accuser Gets Review Bombed on Steam
