Key Takeaways
1. People Playground has a strong player base, attracting over 6,000 daily players since its 2019 launch.
2. A harmful mod disguised as a popular download caused chaos, swapping existing mods and risking players’ save files.
3. The People Playground studio temporarily disabled the Steam workshop and urged players to update the game and remove specific folders to prevent further damage.
4. DLL mods, while potentially enhancing gameplay, pose significant security risks compared to standard mods that alter assets.
5. The gaming community is advocating for improved security measures on Steam to prevent similar incidents, drawing attention to other games facing similar issues.
Since its launch in 2019, People Playground has gained a dedicated fan base, consistently attracting over 6,000 players each day. A key factor in the game’s popularity is its Steam workshop, which lets users play around with a ragdoll physics system. Sadly, players are currently blocked from accessing the workshop after a harmful mod caused chaos, ruining other creations and save files.
Malicious Mod Discovered
A widely-discussed Reddit thread revealed that this issue stemmed from a virus disguised as a highly-rated mod. When users opened the game, the mod activated, swapping out their existing mods with compromised versions. This not only affected other downloaded content but might also lead to players losing their save files and Steam achievements.
Workshop Disabled
In response, the People Playground studio has shut down the workshop temporarily. Players are urged to update their version of the game on Steam. To prevent any more damage, they should remove the folder mentioned on the news page. It’s also recommended to unsubscribe from any new or updated mods that appeared after January 30th.
The developers of the sandbox game assert that the malware only targeted the game’s “Contraptions” folder and didn’t affect other files on the computer. However, the solution came too late for some users who lost years of progress. It remains uncertain if original creations can be restored or how the game can prevent a similar incident in the future.
Security Risks with DLL Mods
In contrast to mods that alter assets, DLL (Dynamic Link Library) mods make significant modifications to the program’s code. While these mods can enhance gameplay, they also carry potential security threats.
Even though the studio is tasked with removing harmful content, Valve also oversees Steam workshops. Gamers are pushing for changes that could help stop the spread of such devious viruses. One Reddit user, Radioactive_Doomer, proposed that the marketplace should provide a simpler option to pause mod updates.
People Playground isn’t alone in facing such challenges within the Steam community. Another game, Escape from Duckov, encountered a similar issue where a problematic download prevented the game from loading or caused it to crash unexpectedly. To compound the problem, the developers were slow to respond to the crisis.
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