Developer cancels demo over fears people could use AI to copy game before launch

EntertainmentbyJoe PringPublished: Oct 17, 2026, 14:34Add as a preferred source on GoogleFollow on Google News

A game developer has canceled the public demo of its upcoming title over fears that people could use AI to copy it before the full game is released.

Alliance Arts announced that the planned October 19 demo for Drunken Goddess Reflux would no longer be made publicly available, with the company instead opting for closed online play sessions.

Developer fears AI could copy game before release

Drunken Goddess Reflux is an upcoming indie game listed on Steam, where it is described as a drinking survival game that pits players against a demon in a twisted version of Russian roulette.

The game does not yet have a confirmed release date, but a public demo had been scheduled to launch on Monday, October 19.

However, Alliance Arts announced a change of plans just days before its release, citing concerns that the demo could give others an opportunity to replicate the game.

“We’re concerned that the demo’s content could be used to quickly imitate or replicate the game’s presentation and gameplay with AI or other tools, and that such works could be released before our launch,” the company explained.

The developer had initially planned to release the demo with restrictions on sharing and streaming gameplay footage.

However, it concluded that its current team would be unable to properly enforce those restrictions if the demo were made publicly available.

“We had planned to release the demo publicly with some restrictions on posting and streaming gameplay videos. However, we concluded that we can’t properly manage those restrictions with our current team,” Alliance Arts said.

Rather than canceling the opportunity to play the game entirely, the developer will instead hold closed online sessions for a limited number of participants.