Russian developer of Loop Hero tells players to pirate the game

[Daniel Sims]

In context: International sanctions levied against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine have prevented Russian customers from buying games on global digital platforms. One Russian developer has given its consent to fans in the country to pirate its game if they have no other choice.

This week, Russia-based developer Four Quarters gave Russian fans asking how to buy its game Loop Hero permission to pirate it if they could not figure out a way to purchase it because of sanctions. The response came via the Russian social media platform VK.

Currently, there is a loophole through Russian payment provider Qiwi that might work on Steam, but there is no way for Russians to buy the Nintendo Switch version. As a result, the indie studio said fans should download a torrent of Loop Hero and provided a link to the game on the popular Russian torrent service RuTracker.

Ever since Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal stopped operations in Russia earlier this month, it has become difficult, if not impossible, for Russians to buy digital products on foreign platforms, including games. Steam also can't send payments to Russia, Belarus, or Ukraine. However, Steam users based elsewhere can still buy games from developers in those countries, including Loop Hero, but the studio can't cash out the payments.

Four Quarters isn't the first developer to endorse piracy of its game, if only conditionally. In 2017, Polish indie developer Acid Wizard Studio posted a torrent of its title, Darkwood, on The Pirate Bay. In an admission that some degree of piracy was inevitable, Arc Wizard wanted to ensure players got a malware-free copy of the game.

Though Four Quarters said it is against the war on the day Russia invaded Ukraine, and at least one member of the studio has since moved to Georgia. Its willingness to allow the piracy in this case may be in response to Russia considering legalizing piracy to sidestep sanctions.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/93974-russian-developer-loop-hero-tells-players-pirate-game.html

 

[m4a4]

Well, already got it for "free" on EGS and played it.

Was decent for a tiny game. But a lot of RNG...

 

[RudyBob]

Sanctions are good in this case.

 

[Xex360]

And that's why we need cryptocurrency. The stupidity of governments cannot be predicted.

 

[Aaron Fox]

People who are sympathetic toward the ordinary Russians who don't support Putin and his government should advocate for looser immigration, to take in Russian political dissidents (as well as displaced Ukrainians).

Paying for the software they develop doesn't really cut it. Objecting to inconvenience from sanctions on humanitarian grounds also doesn't cut it, considering the unjustified murder and mayhem happening — due to the Putin government.

Yes, it's easy to demand and justify sanctions while turning a conveniently blind eye toward the plight of Russians who don't support the government that claims to represent them. So... the key is to let those who wish to emigrate leave and have a suitable place to go to.

Put your heart where your mouth is. That's what I say.

 

[GodEmperorPepe]

People who are sympathetic toward the ordinary Russians who don't support Putin and his government should advocate for looser immigration, to take in Russian political dissidents (as well as displaced Ukrainians).

Paying for the software they develop doesn't really cut it. Objecting to inconvenience from sanctions on humanitarian grounds also doesn't cut it, considering the unjustified murder and mayhem happening — due to the Putin government.

Yes, it's easy to demand and justify sanctions while turning a conveniently blind eye toward the plight of Russians who don't support the government that claims to represent them. So... the key is to let those who wish to emigrate leave and have a suitable place to go to.

Put your heart where your mouth is. That's what I say.

If everyone who opposes the current government just leaves. When will this war stop?In 10 years?50? Everyone who cries about poor russians that can't use apple pay in stores or can't get money from abroad, you understand that every cent earned from inside the Russia pays taxes and funds this war?

 

[bviktor]

And that's why we need cryptocurrency. The stupidity of governments cannot be predicted.

No, we don't want the Russians to circumvent sanctions, thanks.

 

[BuckarooBonzaii]

And that's why we need cryptocurrency.

Remember that Crypto for the people can also mean Crypto for the Government. Putin being a former KGB and probably still is may have amassed Crypto wealth with his KGB friends and allies over the years and may be still is. Crypto is a double edge sword.

 

[Aaron Fox]

If everyone who opposes the current government just leaves. When will this war stop?

If you think a citizen uprising is going to solve this I would think again.

Innocent people captured by a political system that claims to represent them but does not (and which is in the process of seriously degrading their quality of life, now and in the future) — people who have no power to change the system — are not substantively different from refugees from a nation being attacked. Living in a slowly collapsing rotting house isn't so much different from escaping one that has been degraded more obviously by war conditions.

It's too easy and lazy to tell ordinary powerless Russians that their lives aren't important because they haven't committed suicide by trying to overthrow the Putin regime.