Moonlighter studio delays ReVamp's Steam playtest over fears of AI-made clones

Digital Sun, the studio behind Moonlighter and Cataclismo, has postponed a public Steam playtest for its next game, ReVamp. The reason is unusual: the team is worried that someone could use generative AI to copy the game and release a clone before the real one comes out.

"Too big a risk"

The studio pointed to the risk of "games being reverse-engineered, cloned and published before the original is even out," Eurogamer reports. Eurogamer describes ReVamp as a "Tower Defensevania," which suggests tower defense combined with Metroidvania-style exploration.

Instead of an open Steam playtest, ReVamp will get a limited playtest on Discord, according to PC Gamer. The studio added, "We know we're not the only developers feeling this way."

A call to the platforms

Digital Sun also asked storefronts to do more. Per Rock Paper Shotgun, it urged platforms to "keep strengthening protections for original work."

When you can play it

ReVamp's Steam listing currently shows a release date of March 25, 2027. Until then, the Discord playtest is the only way to try it.