Drug Dealer Simulator publisher responds to Schedule 1 copyright controversy

The publisher of Drug Dealer Simulator has issued an official statement regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding Schedule 1. The lengthy post, shared on X clears up a lot of confusion and confirms that no lawsuit has been filed, at least not yet. It explains what the investigation is about in detail.

For those unaware, Schedule 1 is a breakout indie title released on March 24, 2025, that quickly earned an Overwhelmingly Positive rating on Steam with hundreds of thousands of concurrent players at all times. The game has reportedly sold over 5 million copies within a month. But as the game rose in popularity, so did comparisons with Drug Dealer Simulator.

Here’s everything Movie Games SA said as well as a brief on the current situation.

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Movie Games SA issued an official statement on the Schedule 1 controversy

Schedule 1 is a drug-dealing simulator that tasks players with building an illegal empire while avoiding the law. Ironically, the game now finds itself in some legal troubles. Recent reports from various sources highlighted that the publisher of Drug Dealer Simulator allegedly initiated a copyright infringement investigation against Schedule 1.

The accusations say Schedule 1 possibly borrowed not just plot elements but also key game mechanics and UI design from Drug Dealer Simulator. A legal analysis done by Movie Games SA suggested there were enough similarities to justify an official investigation.

Drug Dealer Simulator's publisher recently posted an official statement on X that began by confirming that no lawsuit had been filed against the TVGS team. It also made it clear that it is not trying to stop Schedule 1's sales or development.

The publisher later explained that as a publicly traded company, it is required by law to look into such matters as ignoring this could put Movie Games SA at legal risk. It also explained that the initial message about the legal analysis was only shared through ESPI, a system meant for stock market communications.

The statement also clarified that Byterunners, the developer of Drug Dealer Simulator has no involvement in the situation at all. Lastly, it emphasized having no ill will toward TVGS, even stating it wished TVGS well before the game’s release.

That's everything we know about this situation so far. The rumors about the lawsuit have resulted in players review bombing Drug Dealer Simulator. In the past few days, the game has received over 2,000 negative reviews, resulting in an Overwhelmingly Negative rating on Steam.

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