A controversy erupted on social media after an independent publisher suggested that players pirate its games instead of buying cheaper keys from third-party websites.

Beyond the harsh criticism, the publisher also exposed a questionable practice in the industry, claiming that some of the keys sold on these websites come from questionable sources and can end up there as a result of misuse.

The reality is that, these days, losing money in the video game industry is something most companies can hardly afford. In this particular case, the publisher would rather see people who had nothing to do with the game make zero money from it.

Dicehit Games tells players to pirate its games instead of buying cheaper third-party keys

Independent publisher Dicehit Games sparked controversy on social media after suggesting that players pirate its own video games.

The publisher shared a post from the well-known X account El Analista de Bits, which recommended a third-party website to purchase Restory: Chill Electronic Repairs.

The problem is that Dicehit claimed the website sells game keys that were not obtained through a commercial arrangement. Instead, according to the publisher, these are free codes that were originally provided to media outlets and content creators.

Dicehit alleged that some recipients simply sell those keys to third-party websites instead of using them for their intended purpose, describing the practice as dishonest.

“For those who don’t know, sites like this sell the codes we send for free to get content in our game. We don’t receive the content, and our goodwill is abused this way. If any of our games are too expensive for you and you’re going to use a key site, just pirate it.”

Not every publisher has a problem with game keys, which is why Dicehit spoke out

Dicehit’s criticism doesn’t mean that every website selling game keys obtains them through questionable practices. The publisher is simply explaining what it claims is happening in its own case.

The company acknowledged that there is a legitimate business model in which publishers and developers sell game keys to these types of websites, just as they would conduct a transaction with any other retailer.

However, Dicehit says it does not operate under that business model. According to the publisher, the keys for its games that appear on these websites were originally distributed for free.

In other words, the publisher claims that some of the keys were obtained at no cost, were not used to create the intended content, and were instead sold to a third party.

For Dicehit, pirating its games is preferable to allowing third parties to profit from something the publisher originally provided for free.

The controversy highlights one of the lesser-known problems surrounding game keys and the gray market, where publishers can have little control over what happens to codes once they are distributed.

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