When a pirated version of early access survival game Subnautica 2 started going around before its release, some took to bragging about dodging the game's $30 price tag directly in the official Discord channel.
"Thanks for pirating a game that I've spent years working on," game design lead Anthony Gallegos replied to one such self-reported pirate. "I'm disappointed that you'd do that when it's kind of how we make our living. I hope you rethink your life choices."
A subset of users on the r/piracy subreddit responded harshly to the designer's expression of disappointment, with some claiming that he must be fabulously wealthy. "This is like a man in a solid gold suit spitting at a homeless person," decided one poster.
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It's obviously no surprise that the denizens of r/piracy approve of piracy, but the hostility was surprising. Even diehard pirates can understand that it is not endearing to brag about pirating someone's game to their face, and the perception that regular employees of a game studio are swimming in cash is naive. Gallegos is rather far removed from a music industry exec suing Napster kids in the 2000s.
It didn't help that there is persistent confusion about Krafton's failed attempt to get out of a $250 million payout that it may owe developer Unknown World's founders and CEO, some of which could be distributed to others at the studio—we lack details.
In another comment on the official Discord channel, Gallegos straightened out the record a bit.
"Just to be clear, pirates are gonna do their thing. We were all kids once. Money and the economy is very hard. I get it," wrote the designer. "It wasn't the piracy that bothered me. It was the people that flagrantly walked in here and wagged it in the faces of people who were waiting to play legitimately. That was the part that aggravated me. That and the Reddit responses that keep talking like i'm a millionaire. I'm very much [not]. I don't own a home. I rent.
"There's a lot of misinformation going around and we just wanted the best launch possible for our people. All that to say, I understand and thank you for supporting the studio ultimately. I cannot condone piracy, but I get why people do. I would much rather people buy the game, try it for an hour, and return it than go play it illicitly."
This prompted a second, more sympathetic thread on r/piracy, in which users discussed the Discord bragging as a breach of pirate etiquette, or a narcissistic need for validation.
"Going into the server to brag you're playing a leaked game is such a shitty move," reads one of the top comments.
"Just pirate and play, there is no need to make a moral crusade," says another.
One person summed up their attitude as: "I'm someone who just wants free shit. The taunting is completely unnecessary."
Subnautica 2 launched on Thursday for $30 in early access, which feels like a sensible price to me based on my experience so far. There's plenty I think could be improved, and the full world and story isn't there yet, but it's good fun and offers some lovely undersea vistas.
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