Indie shooter dev sparks controversy with legal threats
With over a million subscribers, Bluedrake42 is not just a successful YouTuber, but also the developer of the free tactical shooter Operation: Harsh Doorstop. Positioned as an alternative to major shooters like Battlefield, Arma and Squad, the game follows a permanent free-to-play model with extensive mod support. However, just ahead of its next major update on February 28, the developer is stirring up controversy with a post on X.
The controversy
In his post on X, Bluedrake42 calls on influencers to disclose any payments over $10,000 from competing games in the past year. He insists they do so before reviewing his title. Failure to do so, he warns, could lead to legal consequences. He argues that influencers are not "independent journalists" but are often paid by developers to criticize rival games unfairly. Additionally, he is offering a Steam key for the upcoming launch playtest to anyone who shares his post.
The reaction of the community
At the time of research, reactions on Reddit were largely negative. Many in the community view the developer’s threats as excessive, unprofessional and ineffective. Bluedrake42 is accused of using controversy to draw attention to his struggling game. One user commented: "He complains about paid reviews, but his own game is barely playable. Maybe that's why the feedback is so bad?"
For Operation: Harsh Doorstop, the controversy is already having a negative impact. Despite a generally solid reputation with 77% positive reviews out of over 17,000 on Steam, the backlash from Bluedrake42’s X post has led to a surge in negative ratings.
Source(s)
X (formerly Twitter / Bluedrake42)
Image source: Steam
