Amazon claims to be spiking listings for pirated games

[Len]

Yesterday, we reported on an unusual set of game listings on Amazon that appeared to indicate unscrupulous resellers were using the platform to launder pirated copies of Surviving Mars and Frostpunk.

Since copies of these games appeared while browsing for the games on Amazon's site, it was difficult to delineate their low prices from an official sale of the game. Now, a representative for Amazon has told Venturebeat it's actively removing these listings from the platform.

Per an unnamed spokesperson, “Our customers trust that when they make a purchase through Amazon’s store — either directly from Amazon or from its third-party sellers — they will receive authentic products, and we take any claims that endanger that trust seriously. We strictly prohibit the sale of counterfeit products, and these games have been removed.”

However, even with the listings removed, developers like 11Bit Studios and Paradox must now support players who believed they were making a legitimate game purchase. Frostpunk developer 11Bit has told VentureBeat that the company is "working on a solution that will satisfy all parties, including the people who bought the game."