Valve had to remove from Steam a Counter-Strike 2 mod inspired by Halo 3 after its creator received a DMCA notice from Microsoft.
The project, called Project Misriah: Halo Ports, was a collection of maps that recreated the Halo 3 multiplayer experience inside Valve’s shooter, trying to replicate its feel as closely as possible.
Microsoft Issues DMCA Takedown
On X (formerly Twitter), the co-creator of Project Misriah, Froddoyo, shared an image of the DMCA notice he received from Microsoft (thanks PC Gamer).
The notice stated that the “unauthorized use of Halo game content in a workshop not associated with Halo games infringes their rights”, and as a result, Valve temporarily removed the content from Steam.
The main issue appears to be the use of assets from Halo games. In theory, the Project Misriah team could have challenged the DMCA if they believed their project did not violate Microsoft’s copyright. However, they decided not to, declaring the mod “done”, and even threw a small jab at Microsoft.
Concerns in the Modding Community
The removal raised concerns among the modding community, who fear Microsoft’s move could set a precedent for removing other content from the Steam Workshop.
As modder Valkyries733 explained, quoting Froddoyo: “Precedent set here impacts other workshops. Such as Left 4 Dead 2’s and Garry’s Mod’s. They could feasibly get past this by making their own assets, but obviously that’s a lot of work.”
The DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) is a U.S. law passed in 1998 to protect copyright in the digital era. It requires service providers to promptly remove content accused of copyright infringement by the rights holders.
