Steam users have been sent a warning by platform creator Valve after it removed a game containing suspected malware. The app in question, PirateFi, was available briefly as a free download but has been taken off Steam following an update that was suspected to contain malicious files. In the wake of this, Valve has messaged potentially affected players to warn them of the threat and suggest they take steps to check for any unexpected viruses or software.
New Steam game PirateFi was launched onto the Valve store on Thursday February 6, pitched as “a thrilling survival game set in a vibrant, low-poly world where you can choose to play solo or with others.” Available as a free Steam game but described as being in the beta stage of development, it promised all the essentials from fishing, hunting, and farming to base building, weapon crafting, and competitive multiplayer against rival player gangs.
PirateFi was removed from Steam by Valve on Monday February 10. Users that had played the game have since received an email, shared by tracking site SteamDB, which reads: “We are contacting you because you recently launched PirateFi on Steam. The Steam account of the developer for this game uploaded builds to Steam that contained suspected malware.”
As the example shows, the message also informs players if they launched the game while one of the suspicious builds was active. If you fall into this category, it’s likely that the malicious files in question will have also been run on your PC.
Valve confirms that the builds have been removed from Steam, but encourages any users that downloaded the game “to run a full-system scan using an antivirus product that you trust or use regularly, and inspect your system for unexpected or newly installed software.” It continues, “You may also consider fully reformatting your operating system to ensure that no malicious software remains on your machine.”
While PirateFi may be gone, there are a whole host of other pirate games to satiate your craving for the high seas. Alternatively, we have a list of the best multiplayer games if it’s the thrill of conflict that drives you.
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