Free Steam Game Beyond the Dark Removed After Malware Discovery

Lena Fischer May 20, 2026 0 comments 1 min read

Valve removed free Steam game Beyond the Dark after malware was discovered. The game was rebranded from Rodent Race and injected with malicious code post-review.

Free Steam Game Beyond the Dark Removed After Malware Discovery

GAMES handheld

Valve has removed a free game from Steam after it was found to contain malware. The game, Beyond the Dark, was available for a short time before being taken down. Security researcher Eric Parker identified the malicious content.

Security researcher identifies malicious content

Beyond the Dark was originally released in December 2024 under the name Rodent Race. It was rebranded to its current title in May 2025. The malware was injected after Steam's initial review process, a tactic seen in previous cases such as Chemia and PirateFi.

The incident highlights ongoing challenges for Steam's content review system. Malicious actors have repeatedly found ways to bypass initial checks and introduce harmful code after approval. Valve has not commented on the specific case or any changes to its review process.

It remains unclear whether Valve will take additional steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. The company has not confirmed any new security measures or updates to its review pipeline.