The latest indie game to take Steam by storm is drug-dealer simulator Schedule 1, which lets players live out their Breaking Bad fantasies solo or with friends. Unfortunately, that much attention for a game can often lead to challenges, as we saw with the wildly popular “Pokemon with guns” indie, Palworld. Now, Schedule 1 finds itself in a similar situation as a prior drug-dealer simulator, aptly named Drug Dealer Simulator, raises concerns about potential copyright infringement. Just a few weeks into its reign on Steam, Schedule 1 recently dropped a new patch, but now, the game’s future looks uncertain.
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According to Insider Gaming, Drug Dealer Simulator publisher Movie Games S.A. is currently investigating Schedule 1‘s creator, TVGS, for potentially violating its copyrighted IP. Both Drug Dealer Simulator and Drug Dealer Simulator 2 are quite popular in their own right, but it seems the games might have a bit too much in common with their new competition. Based on the information in legal documents that recently surfaced, the legal concerns from Movie Games S.A. stem from Schedule 1‘s plot, mechanics, and UI being potentially too much like those in Drug Dealer Simulator and its sequel.
This is quite similar to what’s going on in the Palworld v. Nintendo saga, related to Pokemon-like features in the popular survival creature catcher. As gamers know, despite the ongoing legal challenges from Nintendo, Palworld remains available for gamers and continues to provide regular updates – some of which made the game less like Pokemon. Fans enjoying their drug lord lives via Schedule 1 may be wondering… what does this lawsuit mean for the game?
How Might Copyright Lawsuit Impact Schedule 1 ?
Drug Dealer Simulator originally released in 2020, with the sequel, Drug Dealer Simulator 2, following just last year in 2024. Though both games received Mostly Positive Steam ratings overall, more recent feedback puts them at Mixed. This is partly due to recent player backlash in response to the news about Movie Games S.A. seeking a copyright investigation into Schedule 1. Since that news broke, new reviews slam the publisher with comments like “instead of fixing [the game] the devs decide to sue an indie developer.” This hardly speaks to the actual quality of Drug Dealer Simulator as a game, but it does show that fans of Schedule 1 aren’t happy at the news.
As we’ve seen from the Palworld situation, legal investigations like these take time. While some copyright complaints, such as recent Wizards of the Coast DMCA to the Baldur’s Village mod creator, can result in games getting taken down, that’s not always the case. Whereas mods like Baldur’s Valley very clearly use existing IP, a game like Schedule 1 is a bit more complicated to investigate. Obviously, two games that put you in a first-person drug-dealer simulation situation are going to have similarities, but just how similar they’re allowed to be before it crosses a legal line will be a matter determined via legal proceedings.
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For now, Schedule 1 remains available on Steam, with its latest April 3rd patch ready to go. The game maintains an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam and reviews abound with Breaking Bad references. Given that Palworld remains available to this day despite ongoing legal issues with Nintendo, it is quite probable that Schedule 1 will stay on Steam while the copyright investigation is underway. What happens after that will likely depend on whether or not the game is ultimately found guilty of infringing upon Drug Dealer Simulator‘s IP.
As of this morning, Schedule 1 creator Tyler, aka TVGS, has not commented on the allegations or legal challenges by Drug Dealer Simulator‘s publisher. In fact, his most recent post on X is simply a sneak peek at the next update, suggesting that, for now, fans can expect to keep seeing new content arrive in Schedule 1 as planned.
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