By A free-to-play game named PirateFi was launched with minimal attention on Steam earlier this month. However, the main reason most players will ever learn about it is that the game has been removed from the platform for propagating harmful malware to unsuspecting players who downloaded it.
As reported by PC Magazine, Valve has been alerting players who downloaded PirateFi regarding the removal. In the screenshot shared below from SteamDB, Valve advises PirateFi players to conduct a comprehensive system scan using antivirus software. The company also recommends considering a complete reformat of players’ operating systems to eliminate any lingering malicious software.
A game called PirateFi launched on Steam last week and it contained malware. Valve removed the game two days ago.
Users who played the game have received the following email: pic.twitter.com/B98BFs0WbK— SteamDB (@SteamDB) February 12, 2025
The extent of how many players’ computers were infected by PirateFi remains uncertain. Although SteamDB only indicates five players at PirateFi’s peak, users on Steam’s forum noted that the game did not launch. If this is the case, then many of those users would not appear as active players on SteamDB. PC Magazine also mentions that there was a job posting on Telegram for an in-game chat moderator for PirateFi, and the individual who shared that information suspects that the game developer’s profile was operated by an AI program.
Recently, Steam revealed data showing that almost half of Steam’s users are still utilizing Windows 10 despite the upcoming end of support for the operating system this fall. Additionally, it appears that Valve has prohibited games on Steam that compel users to view advertisements to access them.
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