Dev says "false DMCA" from Microsoft got their sandbox game removed from Steam over apparent Minecraft copyright, all because of a screenshot of birch trees

Unomelon, the developer of Minecraft-inspired sandbox game Allumeria, says a DMCA from Microsoft, evidently related to Minecraft, got the game removed from Steam.

"The Allumeria Steam page is currently down because Microsoft has filed a false DMCA claim on it," Unomelon said on Bluesky on Tuesday. "They sent an email earlier today claiming that this screenshot infringes on their copyright. I am taking a moment to figure out what my path is going forward, will update soon."

The screenshot in question (above) is a simple wide shot of a forest filled with birch trees, what look to be oak trees with green and autumnal leaves, and a few pumpkins and weeds checkering the grassy dirt. There are definitely some similarities to Minecraft; if you told me this was a screenshot of a Minecraft mod, I'd probably believe you, but that's true of many voxel-based games, including Hytale.

SteamDB still shows the main page and demos for Allumeria, though the links redirect to Steam's homepage, and an older version of the game is listed on Itch. The latest trailer on the developer's YouTube channel, Unobtainable Melon, has already seen a few comments related to the DMCA situation.

"The game looks really good, and can't wait to give it a go," writes one viewer. "I hope you will be able to get the game back up on Steam, so I and others can do so!"

On Bluesky, a user replied, "Ah yes beloved Minecraft character birch tree."

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Allumeria is a procedurally generated, first-person, voxel sandbox game about exploring caves and dungeons, building farms and homes, and terraforming or customizing the world around you. It also has online multiplayer, which was shown off for the first time in a January demo.

Between boss fights and expanded combat, Allumeria seems to put more emphasis on the action and adventure side of things compared to Minecraft, almost like a 3D Terraria if anything. On Itch, the tags for the game are: Exploration, Fantasy, Minecraft, No AI, Open World, Pixel Art, Sandbox, Terraria, Voxel.

Unomelon looks to have highlighted some differences between Allumeria and Minecraft. For example: "Caves are bountiful and frequent, meaning you will not have to strip mine for resources. They are filled with more than just ore – unique biomes, plant life, enemies and structures await you in the depths."

The Itch page also has an interesting snippet about the building and lighting systems: "Allumeria provides advanced building tools not present in other games. You can change the shape of any block on the fly. Want glass stairs? Want a dirt fence? You can do it! Allumeria has a full RGB light engine. Create dimly lit cozy cabins, or bright neon cities."

I've reached out to Microsoft for comment on this DMCA.

Minecraft creative lead plays Hytale and concludes "I'd rather just play Minecraft," and Hytale's lead says "he is probably right to feel this way."