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Valve has been one of the few gaming companies that has been in good terms with the gaming community for most people. Their customer service and Steam support has been one of the best so far, and their success and support for the Steam Deck system has been also received fairly well worldwide.

On January 10th, 2024, Valve issued a DMCA takedown to the GitHub repository for the "Team Fortress 2: Source 2" project, which aimed to Team Fortress 2 into the Source 2 engine, the same engine that powers games like Half-Life: Alyx and Counter Strike 2. The takedown seems to have taken place due to porting and redistributing Team Fortress 2's assets into the Source 2 engine without permission, as stated in the DMCA notice on GitHub:

The original copyrighted work is Valve's game Team Fortress 2 ("TF2").

The TF2 assets have been ported to Source 2 without permission and are being redistributed by Amper Software in a game mode for Facepunch's S@box. Facepunch has not licensed any Valve assets for S@box. The unauthorized porting and redistributing of Valve's assets without a license violates Valve's IP.

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To make matters worse for TF2: S2, the project was undergoing an engine rewrite, and the takedown appeared in a time where the current source code for the engine is all but unusable, effectively killing the project in its entirety.

Sadly, "Team Fortress 2: Source 2" isn't the only project that has been taken down by Valve.

Another highly praised fan project based on a Valve IP has been the technologically impressive "Portal 64", which aimed to recreate the entirety of Portal 1 into the Nintendo 64 as a fully developed game that could run on the original hardware. The fan game had just received a new updated this past January 5th, 2024, titled "Portal 64: First Slice", which saw 13 of the 19 test chambers from the original game fully playable up to that point.

This also caught Valve's attention, and it prompted action from the company towards this project. However, unlike the Team Fortress 2: Source 2 DMCA takedown, this takedown seems to have been caused due to the project's usage of "Nintendo's proprietary libraries", as mentioned by the project developer, James Lambert, on his latest Patreon post:

So I have been in communication with Valve about the future of the project. There is some news and it isn’t good.

Because the project depends on Nintendo’s proprietary libraries, they have asked me to take the project down. I am letting all you know before so you can choose to withdraw your support before the next payment cycle. I do still plan on continuing the channel. I have plans to do VR powered by the N64, a computer that runs on air pressure, and some other ideas kicking around in my head.

I understand if you no longer support the channel but if you do stick around let me know what sorts of projects you would like to see. I may start a new game of my own or continue to find interesting ways to push N64 hardware. I haven’t entirely decided what I will do yet.

Also, but (sic) sure to generate the latest ROM before I take the ROM patcher down.

The ROM patcher for Portal 64 is still up at the time of writing, so those that still want to get the latest and final version of the Portal 64 project, can still do so before the ROM patcher for the project gets taken down in its entirety.

Team Fortress 2: Source 2 DMCA
James Lambert's Patreon

 

[sombrerosonic]

They allow Skibiti Toilet to exist and make money but have a mental breakdown over this free project.

L tbh

 

[TheStonedModder]

All of these companies must have only gotten rich by not buying pants. Why else are they constantly swinging their dicks around?

 

[SylverReZ]

So I guess Valve is the next Nintendo to take down Portal mods?

 

[The Catboy]

You were the chosen one! You were supposed to destroy the Dark Side, not join them!

 

[linuxares]

Well now all the whining kids will come in again without reading why they took them down...

 

[codezer0]

Gabe, dont be like Nintendo.

If not for MvM, I wouldnt have bothered reinstall tf2, full stop.

Such contempt and abuse of legalities only furthers to justify piracy.

 

[ShadowOne333]

You were the chosen one! You were supposed to destroy the Dark Side, not join them!

They were supposed to destroy corporate greed, not join them!

 

[linuxares]

The TF2 assets have been ported to Source 2 without permission and are being redistributed by Amper Software in a game mode for Facepunch's S@box. Facepunch has not licensed any Valve assets for S@box.

 

[BaamAlex]

I would understand if Valve had been harmed with mods like these. It doesn't, or didn't. Bitch move valve. Bitch move.

 

[Ryab]

View attachment 413378
​

Valve has been one of the few gaming companies that has been in good terms with the gaming community for most people. Their customer service and Steam support has been one of the best so far, and their success and support for the Steam Deck system has been also received fairly well worldwide.

On January 10th, 2024, Valve issued a DMCA takedown to the GitHub repository for the "Team Fortress 2: Source 2" project, which aimed to Team Fortress 2 into the Source 2 engine, the same engine that powers games like Half-Life: Alyx and Counter Strike 2. The takedown seems to have taken place due to porting and redistributing Team Fortress 2's assets into the Source 2 engine without permission, as stated in the DMCA notice on GitHub:

​

To make matters worse for TF2: S2, the project was undergoing an engine rewrite, and the takedown appeared in a time where the current source code for the engine is all but unusable, effectively killing the project in its entirety.

Sadly, "Team Fortress 2: Source 2" isn't the only project that has been taken down by Valve.

Another highly praised fan project based on a Valve IP has been the technologically impressive "Portal 64", which aimed to recreate the entirety of Portal 1 into the Nintendo 64 as a fully developed game that could run on the original hardware. The fan game had just received a new updated this past January 5th, 2024, titled "Portal 64: First Slice", which saw 13 of the 19 test chambers from the original game fully playable up to that point.

This also caught Valve's attention, and it prompted action from the company towards this project. However, unlike the Team Fortress 2: Source 2 DMCA takedown, this takedown seems to have been caused due to the project's usage of "Nintendo's proprietary libraries", as mentioned by the project developer, James Lambert, on his latest Patreon post:



The ROM patcher for Portal 64 is still up at the time of writing, so those that still want to get the latest and final version of the Portal 64 project, can still do so before the ROM patcher for the project gets taken down in its entirety.

Team Fortress 2: Source 2 DMCA
James Lambert's Patreon

For Portal 64 a reason was at least provided. Appears to be related to the dev using the leaked SDK.

 

[scoobydude51]

For Portal 64 a reason was at least provided. Appears to be related to the dev using the leaked SDK.

Which explains why it was so good too. It felt official because it was using (leaked) official libraries and code.

 

[Marc_LFD]

This is disappointing coming from Valve.

 

[LokeYourLord]

Linuxares, you do realize that some of the very famous games on Steam are games that depend on or have depended on modding/copying Valve games & assets, right? And up until now, they have done nothing but being fine with it because in the end, they made more profit from those projects in the end.

This stands in contrast to how they have conducted themselves prior, and shows to me that an internal shift at Valve is happening that might seed a dark future for PC gaming if Valve too becomes corrupted like pretty much all the others are. Not that Valve is corruption or issue free of course, but they are far better than all the other options out there, and all seem to forget that they solely exist due to the kindness and willingness of their users and customerbase to tolerate their crap and pay for their products. Once this goodwill from your customers is gone, we'll see how far that gets you, and when Valve joins the rest of the dumpsterfire companies, I think it will be a turning point for a huge crowd this time.

 

[Ryab]

Which explains why it was so good too. It felt official because it was using (leaked) official libraries and code.

I mean they wouldn't have gotten anywhere without it. The N64 isn't exactly an easy system to develop for.

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2024

Linuxares, you do realize that some of the very famous games on Steam are games that depend on or have depended on modding/copying Valve games & assets, right? And up until now, they have done nothing but being fine with it because in the end, they made more profit from those projects in the end.

This stands in contrast to how they have conducted themselves prior, and shows to me that an internal shift at Valve is happening that might seed a dark future for PC gaming if Valve too becomes corrupted like pretty much all the others are. Not that Valve is corruption or issue free of course, but they are far better than all the other options out there, and all seem to forget that they solely exist due to the kindness and willingness of their users and customerbase to tolerate their crap and pay for their products. Once this goodwill from your customers is gone, we'll see how far that gets you, and when Valve joins the rest of the dumpsterfire companies, I think it will be a turning point for a huge crowd this time.

Multiplayer may be the reason here. They don't want a new version of TF2 not made by them to take their playerbase.

 

[scoobydude51]

I mean they wouldn't have gotten anywhere without it. The N64 isn't exactly an easy system to develop for.

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2024

Multiplayer may be the reason here. They don't want a new version of TF2 not made by them to take their playerbase.

True, yet using the leaked SDK would get the dev into a huge legal mess, if Valve didn’t get to it first.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

we should all remember that who hunted down dolphin on steam was Valve themselves. They just asked Nintendo "should I pull the trigger?". Obviously Nintendo said yes.

Also, Valve collects an obscene amount of data from it's users, so that good guys image is just a build up image, it is not a real thing since forever.

(oh, and there is the DRM subject, but people are ok with that so it seems)

 

[scoobydude51]

I mean they wouldn't have gotten anywhere without it. The N64 isn't exactly an easy system to develop for.

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2024

Multiplayer may be the reason here. They don't want a new version of TF2 not made by them to take their playerbase.

It’s mainly that Valve doesn’t allow their assets to be transferred to other engines (source 1 and source 2 are considered different engines, which probably have different EULAs for what can be used, and is probably why FacePunch doesn’t use any Valve owned assets in S&Dbox, unlike Gmod did, which was made in Source 1)

 

[ShadowOne333]

True, yet using the leaked SDK would get the dev into a huge legal mess, if Valve didn’t get to it first.

Indeed, seems to me like Valve did a service to the guy if he indeed was using leaked SDK.
They basically dropped in before Nintendo took him to court directly. I see that one as an absolute good decision by Valve in this instance.
Sad to see that homebrew port being cancelled, it was very promising and a technological wonder, but the reasoning behind the termination was okay for me.
This also goes to show that Valve does know how much of a piece of shit Nintendo can be.

 

[Luke94]

Well it seems that Gabe Newell needs sensory deprivation tank therapy.