Indie Dev Threatens Gabe Newell, Has Game Removed From Steam

If you’re a developer selling a game on Steam, it’s probably not the best idea in the world to tweet a death threat to the guy who owns Steam.

That’s what indie developer Mike Maulbeck did earlier today, though, and it’s now something he probably regrets.

The day should have started off pretty well! Maulbeck’s game, Paranautical Activity, was included as part of a Steam store section highlighting Halloween-themed games.

Only, it was listed as an Early Access title, not a final product (the game had been only recently completed). That mistake sent Maulbeck into a Twitter tirade.

ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME STEAM? WE JUST RELEASED OUT OF EARLY ACCESS AND THIS IS OUR FRONT PAGE BANNER? pic.twitter.com/Zfhj4VA8UX

— Mike Maulbeck (@SpooderW) October 20, 2014

First they force me to delay the game because I can't release on weekends, now this.

Steam is the most incompetent piece of fucking shit.

— Mike Maulbeck (@SpooderW) October 20, 2014

fucking steam is just fucking taking money out of my pocket. misinforming people that my game is in fucking early access.

— Mike Maulbeck (@SpooderW) October 20, 2014

Things took a real nasty turn, though, when Mike – as Player Attackpoint out, not helped by his Halloween Twitter username being “Murderbeck” – tweeted the following.

He soon deleted the tweet, but despite his later regrets – Maulbecktells Polygon ” I didn’t mean what I said” – the damage had been done (and the screencaps had been made).

“We have removed the game’s sales page and ceased relations with the developer after he threatened to kill one of our employees”, a Valve spokesperson told Kotaku. Which only made Mike’s day/life worse.

Welp. PA no longer on steam. I'm done making videogames now. It sucked while it lasted.

— Mike Maulbeck (@SpooderW) October 20, 2014

If there’s a lesson to be learned from all of this, it’s…OK, no, I don’t really need to spell it out.

Game dropped from Steam after Gabe death threat [Player Attack]