Japanese developer Hide to quit industry after his game Deserter's was pirated in China
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Japanese developer Hide says he will quit the game industry after a pirated, modified Deserter's spread in China.
The nine-year project's global Steam launch and Chinese support are now in question.
Background
Hide is a Japanese game developer and representative of the indie studio WhiteCute & AlphaNuts, who spent nine years building Deserter's, an adult fantasy SLG (simulation game) in a tactical series that has sold over 200,000 units domestically. The game launched in Japan for PC via DLsite in March 2026, with a global Steam release planned. In October, Hide reported that a pirated version had been cracked, unofficially translated and apparently modified in China, and said he was essentially done making games beyond a promised content patch and a Switch release of the all-ages version.
How it unfolded
- Mar 2026Deserter's, which took nine years to build, was released in Japan for PC via DLsite, with a future international Steam release planned.
- Sep 2026Hide announced his studio was finally working with a publisher toward a global Steam release, after negotiations with four other companies fell through.
- Oct 17, 2026In an update on X, Hide said he had become aware of a pirated version of Deserter's circulating in China, cracked, unofficially translated and apparently modified.
- Oct 17, 2026In a follow-up post, Hide suggested he will withdraw from the industry after 26 years of making games.
Who’s saying what
- Developer
- Hide expressed despair over the pirated version and took particular issue with its modified contents, saying official Chinese language support for the Steam version no longer looked viable business-wise.
- Developer
- Hide said he is leaving the industry, and 'in a way, running away,' as the world grows more chaotic with AI and other changes, while wishing those who keep going the best.
Still unverified
Whether the Steam version of Deserter's is still coming is unclear; Hide intends to leave that decision to his publisher.