Steam Takes Down Malicious Game, But Players Could Already Be Infected – GameRant

Valve has removed a malicious free-to-play title from Steam after the game’s developer “uploaded builds that contained suspected malware.” The game in question is PirateFi, which was released on Steam on February 6 before being taken down by Valve less than a week later. While only a handful of people appear to have launched PirateFi, Valve has begun contacting players with a warning that their computers have likely been infected with malicious files.While the Epic Games Store continues to give away free games and attract new users regularly, there’s no denying that Steam remains the most dominant platform for PC users searching for the best PC games around. The storefront has been around since 2003 and was originally developed as a software client to provide new updates for Valve’s games. Since then, Valve has expanded the platform tremendously, with the majority of triple-a titles and indie games also now on Steam. Back in July 2024, Steam even broke its own record for concurrent users with nearly 37 million active users at one time.Speaking about the forthcoming release of Stellar Blade’s PC port, Shift Up reveals positive news for those who plan to play it on the Steam Deck.While Steam users can access many of the best indie games and triple-a titles, it does appear that the occasional scam game can slip through the cracks. As reported by SteamDB, Valve has taken down PirateFi​​​​​​, a supposed survival game that offered players the chance to explore the sea, fish, and embark on new adventures either with friends or solo. The title was developed and published by a studio known as Seaworth Interactive, with it being the only game from the developer. Unfortunately, it looks like this relatively unknown title was designed with the intent of infecting users’ computers with malware. Those who launched the game should have received an email from Valve that urges them to run a full system scan as they may be infected with malware.According to the SteamDB page for PirateFi, the game only peaked at 5 concurrent players during its short lifespan, which means the number of users infected is likely relatively small. However, the game’s community page does have various posts and negative reviews from players urging others not to download the title. One user said it “ran [their] Steam wallet dry,” claiming that the game wouldn’t even start when they attempted to launch it but a few days later they noticed their account had been compromised as somebody was using their wallet funds to purchase Dota 2 skins. Another user urged players to change their passwords as most of their accounts had been hacked due to PirateFi​​​​​​. It’s unclear if the malware in PirateFi slipped through Steam’s approval stage or if the game was simply updated with malicious files after it was made available on the platform. The email being sent to players suggests it was the latter, as Valve says the developer “uploaded builds to Steam that contained suspected malware.” Unfortunately, incidents like this are becoming all too common for PC players. Last year, some Cities: Skylines 2 players were also infected with malware after a popular mod was updated with malicious files. Paradox Interactive apologized to players and urged fans to secure their systems immediately.We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.Your comment has not been savedI fear that this may only be the beginning of such issues in digital libraries, such as Steam.and this is why you shouldn’t have done the 180 on the greenlit system….Gamer tag WrappingKnight3 on Xbox One Same for me I never heard of the game before, glad steam removed from there platform and warned users that played it that it contains Malware and recommended to steps to protect there PC.Gamers have the opportunity to purchase some well-regarded couch co-op games with major discounts during the current Steam sale.Just like in the base game, Sniper Elite: Resistance offers some collectibles in its DLC mission: Lights, Camera, ACHTUNG! Captain America: Brave New World is the first entry into the MCU of the year and has laid the groundwork for what comes next.What to do with the Splinter of Eothas is a central question in Avowed’s Dawntreader side quest. Players can snag many impressive rewards by participating in the Date Night Thrills event in Monopoly GO. Here’s a full list of all the rewards.Mice is a side quest that starts in Tachov. Here’s how players can craft the Sleeping Potion and complete the quest in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.Honkai: Star Rail reveals new content coming to the game in Version 3.1, including new characters, events, and an intriguing story chapter.

Source: https://gamerant.com/piratefi-steam-malicious-game-virus-warning/