Popular sandbox Steam game sees virus infect workshop, deleting mods and save files

Since its 2019 release, People Playground has developed a loyal following, still peaking at more than 6,000 participants daily. A major reason for the title’s success is its Steam workshop, which allows gamers to experiment with a ragdoll physics engine. Unfortunately, players are currently shut out after a malicious mod ran amok, destroying other creations and save data.

How a Steam mod can wreak havoc

Discussed in a popular Reddit thread, the virus masqueraded as a top-rated mod. When players booted the game, it activated, replacing existing mods with infected versions. Not only are other downloaded items affected, but players may lose save files and Steam achievements.

The People Playground studio responded by disabling the workshop. It’s recommended that players download the updated version of the Steam game. To avoid further damage, they should delete the folder referenced on the news page. It's also wise to unsubscribe from all new or updated mods appearing after January 30th.

The developer of the sandbox game insists that the virus targeted only the game’s “Contraptions” folder, not other files on a PC. Nevertheless, the fix didn’t arrive before some players lost years' worth of data. It’s unclear whether the original creations can be restored or how the title can avoid another calamity in the future.

Not all workshop mods are as dangerous

Unlike mods that replace assets, DLL (Dynamic Link Library) alternatives make fundamental changes to a program’s code. While these mods keep experiences fresh, they also may pose a security risk.

Although a studio is responsible for weeding out harmful content, Valve also monitors Steam workshops. Players are calling for changes that could prevent the spread of other clever viruses. Redditor Radioactive_Doomer suggested that the marketplace should introduce an easier way to pause mod updates.

People Playground is one of many Steam games with a thriving community that has suffered a similar attack. An offending download in Escape from Duckov prevented the extraction shooter from loading or closed it randomly. Making matters worse, its devs did not act as quickly to address the situation.