Summary
Drug Dealer Simulatorpublisher Movie Games holds “no ill will” towardsSchedule 1developer TVGS, a company representative told Game Rant. That’s in spite of the fact that the Polish publisher is currently investigatingSchedule 1for potential IP infringement—an act that Movie Games has now attempted to clarify.
Between 2020 and 2024, Movie Games published twoDrug Dealer Simulatorgames, both developed by Byterunners. An unrelated game about the drug trade calledSchedule 1launched on Steamin late March 2025. Shortly thereafter, Movie Games announced it was investigating theSchedule 1developer—one-man Australian studio TVGS—for potential copyright infringement. The move sparked widespread fan backlash.
Movie Games has now attempted to clarify the situation, which it believes has been somewhat misreported in the media. “There is no ill will towards TVGS,” a company representative told Game Rant, adding thatitsSchedule 1investigationis merely trying to determine the nature of the similarities betweenDrug Dealer Simulatorand TVGS’s title. The probe itself was initiated because of a preliminary legal analysis, which suggested that “the games are very similar,” to the point that “there might have been an infringement,” the spokesperson said.
DDS Publisher Says It Would Have Been Negligent Not To Investigate Schedule 1
Movie Games points to its status as apublicly traded companyas the main reason for the ongoing investigation. By not looking into a potential infringement, no matter how small, the publisher would potentially face “severe consequences for negligence,” the company representative said. The news of the investigation was originally relayed via the stock market communication system ESPI, where Movie Games is obligated to share such disclosures. The story was then picked up by the media and—in some cases—misrepresented as a lawsuit.
DDS Developer Has Nothing To Do With Schedule 1 Copyright Infringement Investigation
Movie Games also reflected on the recent cases of itsDrug Dealer Simulatorgames being review-bombed in response to theSchedule 1investigation, with developer Byterunners also facing some fan criticism on social media. The publisher noted that Byterunners has nothing to do with the copyright infringement investigation.
Movie Games did not clarify how much longer its ongoingSchedule 1probe is planned to run. Whenever it is concluded, its findings will be disclosed to investors via ESPI, much like the news about the investigation itself was. In the meantime, Movie Games insists it does not want to prevent TVGS from developing or sellingSchedule 1, adding that it has even congratulated the Australian studio for the successful launch before it deemed it necessary to investigate it for potential IP infringement.
