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G2A Compensates Developer After Being Proven To Sell Stolen Keys

Published Sat, 23 May 2020 06:40:51 -0500

Key reseller G2A will be paying back developers for 10 times the value of the stolen keys it had been hosting on its marketplace. After an internal investigation proved that the site had been selling stolen keys all along, the company is making good on a promise to pay back developers harmed by the stolen keys – but just one so far: Wube Software.

G2A has been embroiled in controversy for some time when it comes to selling what many have believed are stolen keys. In July 2019, indie game publisher No More Robots' head Mike Rose lashed out at the company for shady advertising practices when it comes to advertising on Google, as ads placed by G2A were overshadowing No More Robots' own game listings.

G2A must compensate developers harmed by selling stolen keys.

Originally, after some verbal sparring with Rose, G2A published a blog about some of Rose's claims about reselling keys, essentially stating that the site did not sell stolen keys, offering a challenge to developers. If they could provide proof that stolen keys had been sold on their website, as reparations, they would pay out ten times what the developers would have lost as a result.

Wube Software, creators of Factorio, decided to go through with the challenge and as a result G2A began an internal investigation. As it turned out, 198 keys ended up being sold on the site. G2A kept true to its word and promised that Wube will indeed be compensated for 10 times the stolen keys' value. G2A took to a post on its official blog announcing the results of its investigation.

"As we spell out in this blog, fraud directly hurts individuals who buy illegitimate keys, it hurts gaming developers and it ultimately hurts G2A because we are forced – as the transaction facilitator – to cover costs related to the sale."

There were no further details given about how this could have taken place on the site or what G2A will do in the future to prevent additional, similar types of fraud. Time will tell if Wube ends up receiving its pay for the issues and money lost.

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