Free game added to Steam was infected with malware, with Valve warning users through email

A free-to-play game on Steam infected those who downloaded it with malware, with Valve sending out emails to those affected.

The game, called PirateFi, appeared on the system on February 6, with it then being removed a few days later on February 10.

Statistics from SteamDB suggest the game could have reached over 800 users, although the actual figure on those impacted isn’t yet known.

An X account, that isn’t affiliated with Valve, shared a screenshot of the email which was said to have been sent to those who downloaded the game.

Within the email, Valve said: “We are contacting you because you recently launched PirateFi (3476470) on Steam. The Steam account of the developer for this game uploaded builds to Steam that contained suspected malware.”

A game called PirateFi released on Steam last week and it contained malware. Valve have removed the game two days ago.

Users that played the game have received the following email: pic.twitter.com/B98BFs0WbK

— SteamDB (@SteamDB) February 12, 2025

They continued by suggesting malicious files may now be on the user’s computer, with a full-system scan using an anti-virus product recommended to be run. “You may also consider fully reformatting your operating system to ensure that no malicious software remains on your machine,” the company wrote.

While a huge number of titles are released onto Steam weekly, this kind of occurrence has been very rare for users.

According to Tech Crunch, after it was taken down security researchers began to analyze the malware and it was found that an existing game had been modified in an attempt to trick gamers into installing an info stealer.

It’s this type of malware which is common to distribute amongst hackers as it is designed to steal information through data from an affected user’s computer.

Marius Genheimer, a researcher who analyzed the malware and works at SECUINFRA Falcon Team, told TechCrunch that judging by the command and control servers associated with the malware and its configuration, “we suspect that PirateFi was just one of multiple tactics used to distribute Vidar payloads en masse.”

“It is highly likely that it never was a legitimate, running game that was altered after first publication,” said Genheimer.

It is also now being reported that the same video game had been circulating on the messaging app Telegram.

Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram

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