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| A screengrab of the UI for Void War |
Developers are locked in a copyright battle after a notice from a claimant named "Mal Reynolds" sparked confusion and concern within the gaming community.
If you’ve been searching Steam recently for the well-received roguelite Void War, you might have noticed it’s vanished from the storefront. The game, celebrated by fans as a loving hybrid of FTL: Faster Than Light’s mechanics and the grim, war-torn universe of Warhammer 40,000, was delisted on January 22nd. The reason? A DMCA takedown notice allegedly from the gaming titan, Games Workshop. But the story comes with a curious twist that has left both the developers and the community scratching their heads.
From Warm Reception to Sudden Removal
Released in June 2023, Void War carved out a dedicated niche. Players praised its strategic depth, marrying the tense, sector-by-sector navigation and crew management of FTL with the distinct aesthetic and lore-inspired setting reminiscent of Warhammer. Its momentum was steady until developer Bats in the Belfry dropped a surprising update: Valve had removed the game from Steam, though it remained purchasable on itch.io.
The situation clarified slightly a few days later. In a follow-up post, the developer revealed, “Valve pulled Void War’s Steam page after a DMCA notice that says Games Workshop is claiming copyright infringement.”
However, the notice raised immediate red flags. The developers stated they had received no prior communication from Games Workshop directly. Even more oddly, the only contact information Valve could provide from the claimant was “Games Workshop’s public-facing infringements inbox and the name 'Mal Reynolds'.”
For sci-fi fans, that name rings a very specific bell: Mal Reynolds is the beloved captain from the cult-favorite TV series Firefly. As the developer wryly noted, “(yes, like the main character from Firefly).”
A Case of Mistaken Identity or Corporate Protocol?
The developer’s update walked a careful line between concern and resolve. They clarified that “the only indication that GW was involved was that suspicious-sounding name,” while acknowledging it’s possible the company does employ someone by that name to handle legal claims.
“We are proceeding with the standard DMCA process to get the game back on Steam while we wait for an official GW response,” the post assured fans, aiming to project confidence in a lawful resolution.
The community, however, is buzzing with speculation and support. The game’s discussion hub has become a focal point for updates and debate. You can follow the ongoing conversation directly on the Steam Community forums for Void War, where players are dissecting every detail.
Understanding the Inspirations: FTL and Warhammer
To grasp why Void War resonated, it helps to understand its core inspirations.
FTL: Faster Than Light (2012), by Subset Games, is a landmark indie roguelike. It tasks players with managing a spaceship and its crew on a desperate run through rebel-held sectors. Its punishing difficulty and emergent storytelling made it a phenomenon, famously blowing past its $10,000 Kickstarter goal to raise over $200,000.
Warhammer 40,000, Games Workshop’s iconic tabletop wargame, needs little introduction. Its dystopian, far-future setting—“In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war”—has spawned a vast extended universe. This includes hit video games like Space Marine, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, and Vermintide, as well as animated series.
Void War sat squarely at this intersection, offering gameplay deeply familiar to FTL veterans, wrapped in a visual and narrative style that felt authentically Warhammer-esque.
What Happens Next?
For now, the developer is in a waiting game, navigating the formal counter-notice process of the DMCA. The central question remains: Was this an official, if poorly communicated, action by Games Workshop to protect its fiercely guarded intellectual property? Or is it a more complicated case involving a third party?
As the community awaits answers, the incident highlights the precarious tightrope indie developers walk when creating games inspired by beloved, established universes. The line between homage and infringement can sometimes be as thin as a knife's edge, and the enforcement process can feel opaque.
Want to see what all the fuss is about? While the Steam store page is down, gameplay footage and reviews are still available. You can get a feel for Void War's distinctive style by checking out this gameplay overview on YouTube.
The hope for fans is that this is a resolvable misunderstanding. Void War’s sudden disappearance serves as a stark reminder of the complex interplay between fandom, creation, and copyright in the modern gaming landscape. We’ll be following this story closely for any updates from the developer or an official statement from Games Workshop.