Science & Tech · AI · 1 hr ago
Digital Sun delays ReVamp public playtest over game-cloning fears
Digital Sun has delayed ReVamp’s public Steam playtest because it fears the game could be copied before release.
ReVamp is a forthcoming game in which players build and rearrange defenses as Dracula.
The studio will instead hold a smaller playtest through Discord, with access opening on October 29.
It hopes to hold the public playtest around January, though the timing may change.
Developers are concerned that generative AI tools could help people reverse-engineer playable games and publish clones before the originals launch.
That risk may make studios less willing to share early builds, which can help independent developers find players.
Digital Sun is asking platforms to strengthen protections for original work.
Digital Sun has scaled back the first playtest of its upcoming game ReVamp because it fears the game could be cloned before release.
Instead of a public Steam playtest, the studio will start with a smaller playtest through Discord.
The studio said recent reports of games being reverse-engineered and cloned prompted the change.
Digital Sun hopes to open the public playtest around January.
The Discord playtest is scheduled to start on October 29.
- Who
- Digital Sun Games, the developer of Moonlighter and Cataclismo.
- What
- It replaced a planned public Steam playtest of ReVamp with a smaller Discord playtest. The studio cited concerns about the game being cloned.
- When
- The announcement was made on October 19, 2026. The Discord playtest is scheduled to start on October 29, with a public playtest hoped for around January.
- Where
- The planned public playtest was to be on Steam; the smaller playtest will be on Discord.
- Why
- Digital Sun is concerned that a public build could be reverse-engineered and cloned before the game is released.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Digital Sun announced it would replace the planned public Steam playtest with a smaller Discord playtest.
The Discord playtest is scheduled to start.
Digital Sun hopes to open the public playtest.
- Game
- ReVamp
- Developer
- Digital Sun Games
- Planned public playtest platform
- Steam
- Smaller playtest platform
- Discord
- Discord playtest start
- October 29
- Public playtest target
- Around January
3 sources
Moonlighter studio won't host a public playtest of its next game due to rampant AI-led cloning: 'We know we're not the only developers feeling this way'
"Too big a risk": Moonlighter devs delay new game's demo for fear of genAI cloning, calling on platforms to "keep strengthening protections for original work"
AI Cloning Threatens To End Public Playtests For Video Games
What people are saying
With launch still months away, a large public build of ReVamp felt like too big a risk.
We hope to open the public playtest around January.
Showing games early is how indies get seen and find the fans who keep us going, so we hope platforms keep strengthening protections for original work.
Posts on X
We’re keeping ReVamp’s first playtest small for now. Here’s why.