Typically, when a game is about to be delisted, players are informed well in advance. After all, delistings are often due to expiring copyright or full server shutdown for live service games. But sometimes, a game gets removed from Steam with little or no warning. That’s the case for the popular life sim Starsand Island, which launched into Early Access on February 11th. The cozy game suddenly vanished from the Steam store late in the day on April 9th, leaving gamers unable to buy the game. Now, the developer has shared what’s going on.
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Shortly after Starsand Island vanished from the Steam store, the game’s official X account posted about the incident. It appears Starsand Island was deleted due to a copyright complaint related to the mini-games that appear in the in-game arcade. The good news is, the team at Seed Sparkle Lab has already removed the assets in question, and Steam is currently reviewing the updated build. So long as the new version of the game looks good, it should return to storefronts soon enough. But for now, you won’t be able to buy Starsand Island on Steam.
Starsand Island Pulled from Steam Due to Mini-Game Copyright Concerns
Starsand Island is an Early Access life sim where players begin a new life in a quiet island town. It includes classic core cozy game mechanics like farming, crafting, caring for farm animals, and more. Since it launched in Early Access, the game has been popular among life sim fans for its adorable graphics and varied, relaxing gameplay. However, new players won’t be able to buy the game on Steam for the foreseeable future, as it has been temporarily delisted from the platform.
Starsand Island includes an arcade with machines that let players actually play mini-games. And it appears that the copyright controversy stems from some of the content in the arcade. In the official statement, Seed Sparkle Lab does not name the specific game that caused the copyright complaint. Instead, the post notes that “certain core visual elements from a classic title were used without proper authorization within our mini-game section.” The post goes on to apologize for the mistake and break down what’s happening next for the popular life sim.
Seed Sparkle Lab confirms the “unauthorized content” has been removed from the updated game build that is now undergoing review. That likely means that, when Starsand Island returns, we won’t be able to play one of its mini-games in the arcade anymore. The primary game on those arcade machines is Tetris. That most likely means the issue likely stems from using the copyrighted Tetris blocks without permission. Whether the arcade will be removed entirely or just feature different mini-games remains to be seen.
Until the new build is approved on Steam, Starsand Island will not be available for purchase or download. Anyone who already has the game installed should still be able to play it. When the game returns, Seed Sparkle Lab affirms that all progress will be preserved, and players can simply update the game to continue. The only impact should be the removal of the affected mini-games.
In addition, players will receive free DLC as compensation. The “Shining Star” outfit set will be released to players in the next week, “to express [Seed Sparkle Lab’s] deepest regrets.” To ensure that the issue doesn’t happen again, the team is working to improve its internal review and auditing process. Hopefully, that means that once Starsand Island returns to Steam, it will be back for good.
Have you played Starsand Island yet? Will this news impact your decision? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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