Key information
The adult fantasy strategy simulation game Desertars, developed by WhiteCute & AlphaNuts, is facing severe consequences due to unauthorized piracy. Originally a feature phone title, the game was rebuilt for PC over a nine-year period and launched on DLsite in March 2026.
On October 17, 2026, it was revealed that a cracked version of the game had been distributed in China, featuring unauthorized modifications and translations. The developer, Hide, expressed profound distress, stating that the incident has effectively ended the project's business viability.
Hide noted that the piracy has caused significant personal shock, leading to thoughts of ending a quarter-century of development activity. The developer explicitly mentioned feeling unable to recover from the situation and expressed an intention to withdraw from the project.
Prior to this incident, the team had been coordinating with a new publisher to release a Steam version, which included plans for Chinese language support. While the game remains available on DLsite, the future of the Steam release is currently uncertain following these events.
