Schedule 1 under investigation for alleged copyright infringement

Schedule 1, the indie drug-dealing simulator that took over the Steam charts, is under investigation over alleged copyright infringement.

For the past few weeks, big releases like Monster Hunter Wilds, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Split Fiction have been keeping players busy. That was initially the case before the indie simulation title Schedule 1 took over and became one of the most played games thus far in 2025.

Even two weeks after its early access release, the drug-dealing simulation game is still gaining momentum with a massive player count, as seen on SteamDB. 

While it’s all been on the upswing, Schedule 1 is now facing its first big hurdle. As spotted by InsiderGaming, the game is now under investigation for alleged copyright infringement.

Schedule 1 investigated for “potential infringement” of Movie Games S.A’s IP

Created by solo developer TVGS, Schedule 1 involves crafting and selling a plethora of different drugs, which you can then mix with different ingredients for some wacky effects, such as Anti-Gravity and even explosives, among others.

It attracted the attention of Movie Games S.A, which has its own series of drug-dealing simulation games.

On April 3, 2025, the publisher demanded Schedule 1 to be investigated, as seen in a document titled: “MOVIE GAMES SA (17/2025) Decision to commence investigation against the creators of the Schedule 1 production for claims regarding the infringement of the Issuer’s IP and related to committing an act of unfair competition against it.”

According to the document, “Potential infringement of the Issuer’s intellectual property rights and activities that may bear the characteristics of unfair competition have been identified.” 

The investigation began on March 24, when Schedule 1 was released. This was followed by a “comparative analysis” of the company’s IP, including the Drug Dealer simulator games as well as Schedule 1.

As for details of the investigation itself, it’s mentioned that they’re looking into “Elements of the game’s plot, mechanics, as well as UI – User Interface.”

The creator of Schedule 1 has yet to respond at the time of writing – though that hasn’t stopped fans from fighting back. Drug Dealer Simulator currently has an “Overwhelmingly Negative” review on Steam as angry and disappointed players have review-bombed games from the rival studio.

Movie Games say they were obligated to investigate

TVGS

Dexerto has received comment from Movie Games in which they explain that “there is no lawsuit” and that it’s “not our intention to prevent TVGS from selling or developing their game.”

They continued to explain that “The analysis and investigation were necessary in the light of repeating opinions that the games are very similar. By not investigating it, Movie Games, being a publicly traded company, could face severe consequences for negligence.”

“The above was communicated via ESPI, a stock market communication system, where we are obligated to publish such information for full transparency. Not publishing it would also be a case of negligence. From there it was picked up by the media and, in some cases, wrongly reported as a lawsuit.”

“There is no ill will towards TVGS. We even mailed them best wishes shortly before the release, when the game was already huge, but before the investigation was deemed necessary. However, we are obligated to perform this investigation, act accordingly to the scope of the infringement if it is confirmed, and inform the public about it via ESPI.” explained Movie Games.