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Digital Sun has postponed the broad Steam playtest for ReVamp, its upcoming vampire-themed tower defense and metroidvania title, citing growing risks of generative artificial intelligence copycats. The studio decided that releasing an early build to tens of thousands of players ahead of the full March 25, 2027 release exposed the game to being reverse-engineered and cloned. [1][2]
Rather than launching a public Steam test in late October, the developer will instead grant access in waves through its Discord community starting October 29. Digital Sun hopes to eventually open a wider public playtest on Steam around January, after testing the game in the more controlled private environment. [2]
The retreat highlights rising anxiety among independent creators regarding rapid, automated imitation. Other studios are feeling the pressure as well; Alliance Arts recently cancelled a Steam Next Fest demo for Drunken Goddess Reflux over identical fears that AI tools could replicate its mechanics before its official release. [2]
Digital Sun - the indie studio behind moreish roguelike Moonlighter and moody RTS Cataclismo - has delayed a planned Steam playtest for its next game, ReVamp, citing concerns over "games being reverse-engineered, cloned and published before the original is even out."
via Eurogamer
How original does a game have to be for a public demo to become a risk? With its new "Tower Defensevania," Digital Sun apparently fears that releasing a publicly accessible test version could lead to copycats rushing out their own versions.
via Notebookcheck