Microsoft Temporarily Removes Minecraft-Inspired Indie Game from Steam Due to One Screenshot

Minecraft has set the standard as the best-selling game of all time, leading to a wave of clones and voxel-based crafting games over the last 15 years. While many of these have coexisted peacefully with Microsoft, a recent incident involving an upcoming Steam title called Allumeria has stirred the pot.

Earlier this week, the developers of this dungeon-raiding sandbox announced that their game was temporarily removed from Valve’s platform due to a DMCA copyright notice from Microsoft. The notice, shared by developer Unomelon on the game’s Discord, claimed that Allumeria was using “Minecraft content, including but not limited to gameplay and assets.”

The takedown was triggered by a single screenshot from the game’s Steam page, depicting a world reminiscent of Minecraft, complete with birch trees, tall grass, a blue sky, and pumpkins—elements that are also found in real life and many other games. While Allumeria does share a visual style with Minecraft, it doesn’t seem to reuse any actual assets or cross the line into outright copying, a line that many other Minecraft-inspired games have navigated without issue.

Unomelon took to Discord to address the situation: “Hey everyone. The Allumeria Steam page is currently down because Microsoft has filed a false DMCA claim on it. They sent an email earlier today claiming that this screenshot infringes on their copyright. I am taking a moment to figure out what my path is going forward, will update soon. #gamedev”

A glance at the game’s Steam page reveals a charming crafting sim that strives to set itself apart from Minecraft. Its trailer, screenshots, and description highlight features like boss fights, loot, an extensive cave system, and customizable decorations. It’s curious that Allumeria faced this issue while Hytale, which originated from a Minecraft server and resembles a polished texture pack, has been allowed to flourish without problems.

Unomelon informed me via Discord that the claim was made through Tracer.AI, an AI tool used to automatically identify and remove copyright violations. Microsoft and Mojang have previously utilized this platform to take down other voxel games, including a Roblox tech demo that faced backlash from its developer, as well as YouTube videos related to Minecraft.

Whether the claim was made automatically or with intent remains unclear. Mojang’s Chief Creative Officer, Jens Bergensten (known to many as Jeb), responded to a comment about the takedown on Bluesky, stating he was unaware of the situation and was “investigating.” Approximately 12 hours later, Allumeria’s Steam page was reinstated.

“Microsoft has withdrawn their DMCA claim!” Unomelon announced. “The game is back up on Steam! Allumeria is back! Thank you EVERYONE for your support. It’s hard to comprehend that a single post in my discord would lead to so many people expressing support.”

Despite the resolution, the game’s demo is facing some licensing issues as players attempt to download it. This is a better scenario than having to file a counter-claim against the DMCA during the February 2026 Steam Next Fest, which Unomelon was preparing for. “The takedown may help boost the game’s popularity, but it also comes with significant risk,” they noted. “Filing a counter claim opens me up to a lawsuit which could be potentially devastating. So even if everything works out, I would still rather the DMCA takedown never have happened in the first place.”

Microsoft has not yet responded to requests for comment.