Games Workshop confirmed it issued a DMCA takedown against Steam strategy game Void War, ending speculation about whether the notice came from a troll. The Warhammer 40,000 owner targeted the indie title over shoulder pad designs in a trailer image.
The game returned to Steam this week after developer Tundra Interactive removed the offending story trailer. It had been pulled from the platform last month following the copyright claim.
The company identified the problem as "oversized convex shoulder pads with a metallic rim" in a specific shot from the store page trailer. The design could create confusion about association with its Warhammer 40,000 intellectual property.
"All of the artwork in the trailer is original work created by our artists," the developer told IGN. "While we disagree with their assessment, the simplest way to get the game back up was to remove that trailer."
The notice initially raised eyebrows because it came from someone named Mal Reynolds. That name matches the main character from the sci-fi series Firefly, played by Nathan Fillion.
Many assumed the claim came from a troll impersonating Games Workshop. The company took over a week to respond to Tundra Interactive's inquiries before confirming the notice was legitimate. The company's lawyer actually bears the name Mal Reynolds, despite the Firefly connection.
The strategy title draws comparisons to both Subset Games' 2012 roguelike FTL and the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It features voidships resembling Imperial Navy vessels and characters that look like Space Marines, including elements like "Imperial Shrineworlds" and "Imperial astrogation authorities."
Tundra Interactive may re-upload an adjusted version of the trailer later. For now, the developer's priority is shipping content and finishing multi-language font support for proper translations.
Games Workshop has a history of aggressive intellectual property protection. The company previously attempted to trademark the term "Space Marine" and has taken action against fan animations.
The case shows the company monitors video game content for potential IP conflicts, even when the connection appears superficial. It focuses on specific visual elements that could suggest association with its properties.
The game remains available on Steam following the trailer removal, with development continuing through compromise rather than legal battle.
