Sniper Elite III publisher Rebellion and Steam are in a sticky situation and gamers are caught in the middle. A number of retailers had obtained keys for Sniper Elite III from sources that had obtained them illegally. Though the stores themselves conducted business on the up and up, the keys were unlicensed and unpaid for, stolen from one of Rebellion’s distributors. Of course, this means that many gamers ended up with one of these fraudulent keys, so when Rebellion asked Valve to revoke the keys, as they hadn’t received money for them, many gamers spontaneously lost their ability to play Sniper Elite III .
Here is the problem: the gamers did nothing wrong. They participated in a legal business transaction. The retailers did nothing wrong. They too likely purchased keys in a legal fashion. However, the key distributors were the ones who obtained the keys illegally. They are the only ones at fault. However, it’s nigh impossible for them to be punished. Instead, the people being punished are the gamers.
As a consolation prize, so to speak, Rebellion is giving these affected gamers the Sniper Elite III Target Hitler DLC for free but that doesn’t do much without the game itself. While Rebellion was not willing to offer keys to the gamers effected, they did suggest that the gamers seek a refund. Unfortunately, this does not guarantee that retailers will offer a refund, which of course leaves most gamers out of luck and several dollars poorer without a game to show for it.
Source: Steam