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99% of this hit Steam games’ players are pirates, dev says
The developer of Burgie’s Cozy Kitchen says that 99% of recently observed Steam players appeared to be using pirated copies, despite the game remaining commercially successful. The case challenges the simple assumption that widespread piracy inevitably makes a game unprofitable, while also showing the pressure it can place on a small studio.
Burgie’s Cozy Kitchen is an early-access incremental game whose anti-piracy mode makes progress slower and jokes about non-paying customers with pirate imagery and sea shanties. Developer HeyNau identified the scale of piracy through backend data, finding 22 of the last 25 accounts repeatedly referenced a piracy-promoting Chinese website, later widening the sample to 100 and estimating 99% were pirates. The game broke its sales record in June 2026 after its piracy mode went viral, and its peak concurrent players nearly doubled a month later, but the developer says sales have since fallen 40% and that managing piracy remains stressful.
In short
- Developer estimates 99% of recent players used pirated copies.
- The game still broke sales records after going viral.
- Piracy remains stressful as sales have fallen 40%.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those pointing to the game's commercial success argue that player engagement and community participation—regardless of payment method—create meaningful value through feedback, marketing, and network effects. They contend developers should focus on building compelling games that players want to support rather than pursuing anti-piracy measures, suggesting that broad player participation may matter more to a game's success than enforcing perfect payment compliance.
The case against
Those concerned about piracy argue that even in this relatively positive case, the developer faced a 40% sales decline and significant stress, demonstrating real economic harm. They contend that normalising 99% piracy would be unsustainable for most studios, as lost revenue directly constrains investment and development capacity, and that one commercially viable game does not validate piracy as broadly acceptable or harmless.
Explained simply
Burgie's Cozy Kitchen is a computer game being developed and sold through Steam, a popular online platform for video games. The developer has recently discovered that roughly 99 out of every 100 people currently playing the game online are using illegal copies rather than purchased versions.
The game's creator, a small studio called HeyNau, uncovered the piracy by examining technical data from the game's servers. The game features an anti-piracy mode that makes progress slower and displays pirate-themed jokes for illegal users, which went viral online.
This situation challenges the common assumption that widespread piracy automatically destroys a game's sales prospects. However, the developer says that managing the piracy continues to be stressful, and a recent 40 per cent drop in sales demonstrates the ongoing burden it places on small studios trying to make a living from game development.