10 Video Games Delisted For Insane Reasons
3. The Lead Developer Made A Death Threat Against Gabe Newell - Paranautical Activity
After going through Steam's Early Access program, FPS Paranautical Activity was released on the platform on October 20, 2014. However, in what might be a world record for a developer firebombing their own work, the game ended up delisted just a day later.
Paranautical Activity was pulled from Steam after the game's creator, Mike Maulbeck, grew frustrated that it still had the "Early Access" label despite now being in full retail release.
More to the point, Maulbeck jokingly tweeted about wanting to kill Valve co-founder Gabe Newell for the mistake, prompting Steam to respond by delisting the game and ceasing all business with Maulbeck's company Code Avarice.
Maulbeck expressed remorse for his post, though ultimately failed to mend the rift with Steam, and eventually decided to sell Paranautical Activity to a new company, Digerati, who republished a new "Deluxe Atonement Edition" version of the game on the platform in February 2015.
Code Avarice were subsequently allowed to publish their future games, Arkshot and Season's Beatings, on Steam, neither of which made much of a dent.
The lesson here? In the modern world of online discourse written in ink, never even consider joking about killing someone - especially not somebody to whom you owe your livelihood.