In what might be the most unintentionally hilarious copyright battle of the year, two drug-dealing simulators are going head-to-head—not on the streets, but in the Steam marketplace. Yes, welcome to 2025, where the digital underworld is just as cutthroat as the real thing… but with fewer actual jail sentences (we hope).

At the centre of this powdered mess is Schedule 1, an indie darling that launched in late March and promptly skyrocketed up the Steam charts. Boasting a gritty, atmospheric vibe and earning itself an Overwhelmingly Positive user rating, the game quickly became the talk of the town—or at least the virtual alleys of Reddit. But no sooner had it reached the top five most-played games on Steam—nestled between Path of Exile 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds—did trouble come knocking.

“That Looks Familiar…” Said The Competition

Enter Movie Games S.A., publisher of 2020’s Drug Dealer Simulator, which is now claiming that Schedule 1 may have dipped into its stash of plot points, mechanics, and UI elements without asking nicely.

According to reports, Movie Games commissioned a legal analysis on 3 April via the Polish Press Agency. The results? They believe Schedule 1 bears more than just a whiff of similarity to their own narcotics-themed adventure. So much so, in fact, that they filed for an official investigation on the very day Schedule 1 launched—suggesting they were already eyeing the new kid on the block long before the hype train left the station.

To be clear, there’s no lawsuit. Not yet, anyway. Movie Games has insisted this is just an investigation and claimed there’s “no ill will” towards Schedule 1’s developer, TVGS. They even sent over a nice little note of congratulations before things got all legally awkward. However, as a publicly traded company, Movie Games says it’s duty-bound to check if Schedule 1 is indeed playing by the rules—or if it’s snuck in through the side door with someone else’s blueprint.

But in the eyes of Schedule 1’s growing fanbase? This isn’t about copyright. This is a turf war.

The moment word got out, Reddit lit up like a back alley rave. One player, Creepy-Animator9779, passionately defended the indie hit: “Schedule 1 is a fresh, atmospheric take with unique visuals and clearly a different vibe than Dealer Simulator.” Another, krm787, went straight for the jugular, suggesting the whole thing reeks of jealousy.

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And what do angry gamers do when they smell corporate injustice? They review-bomb. Drug Dealer Simulator and its sequel have since taken a nosedive in Steam reviews, with recent feedback so scathing it’s now sporting an Overwhelmingly Negative tag.

To make matters more ironic, the actual developer behind Drug Dealer Simulator, Byterunners, isn’t even involved in the investigation. This whole saga is purely between publishers and fans—yet it’s the devs catching strays in the crossfire.

The community’s stance is clear: even if Schedule 1 borrowed a few tricks from its rival, it’s the better game. It’s the one people actually want to play. In a sentiment echoing the Palworld vs. Pokémon drama of 2024, players don’t seem fussed about originality if the game is fun, engaging, and doesn’t crash every five minutes.

Schedule 1’s The People’s Champ

Legal questions aside, this whole affair underlines a simple truth about modern gamers: they don’t care if your game’s made in a garage or backed by Wall Street. If it’s fun, it’s worth defending. And right now, Schedule 1 has a devoted legion of players who seem ready to go to virtual war over their new favourite crime sim.

So what’s next? Either the legal eagles will swoop in with a cease-and-desist, or this all fizzles out in a puff of posturing. In the meantime, Schedule 1 remains up on Steam, with a major update in beta and fans rallying behind it like it’s the second coming of Breaking Bad: The Game.

If you’re keeping score, Schedule 1 may still be under investigation, but in the court of public opinion? It’s already won the turf war.