Microsoft drops DMCA claim against Allumeria dev, Steam page restored

Microsoft has withdrawn a copyright claim that temporarily knocked indie voxel sandbox game Allumeria off Steam. Developer Unomelon says the game’s Steam page is now back up and fully restored.

The situation kicked off on February 10, when Unomelon posted on social media that Microsoft had filed what it called “a false DMCA claim” against the project. A screenshot of the claim shared in the developer’s Discord (as reported by PC Gamer) alleged Unomelon used Minecraft content “including but not limited to gameplay and assets without authorisation.”

Unomelon later posted email correspondence in its Discord indicating the claim had been removed. The developer called it “the best case scenario,” adding that they didn’t have to file a counterclaim, and that the Steam listing and game were restored without escalating into a legal fight.

Unomelon also suggested the takedown may have been automated, and said they hope systems like this get investigated or prevented going forward, since DMCA claims can cause real damage to smaller creators, whether on Steam or platforms like YouTube.

While the game certainly looks like it was inspired by Minecraft, just copying a game’s style or aesthethic isn’t copyright infringement. The game is available on Steam as a free demo for those interested in checking it out.