Steam Ban, "Gummy52" Rumors, and a Source Code Dump

The solo-developed fantasy MMO Dread mystery launched on Steam just two weeks ago, but has already been temporarily removed from the platform – ostensibly for claims of copyright infringement targeting the game's audio files.

Since the game's launch, the origins of its art and sound have been the subject of debate on Reddit, where users have investigated the developer who they claim is a notorious MMO grifter.

After days of intense medical work that linked developer “Xjum” to the infamous “Gummy52” – a figure notorious in World of Warcraft private server scene to abandon projects under murky circumstances.

In response to the online criticism, the developer has responded in an unprecedented way. Instead of issuing a standard PR denial or disappearing into the ether, Xjum has publicly released the game's source code, effectively daring the community to find the malware they accused him of planting.

According to an announcement on the game's Discord server, developers are looking to replace the problematic sounds and have the game relisted on Steam within days. Players who have already downloaded the game can still play on existing servers.

It's a chaotic pivot in a story already defined by paranoia, stolen assets, and the unique psychology of the gray market MMO scene. To understand why a developer releasing his code is such a nuclear option, we must first understand the allegations that forced his hand.

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The “Gummy52” connection

Dread mystery launched on January 9, pitching itself as a “truly free”, non-profit MMO built on a custom C++ engine. It promised a return to the “old school” mechanics of the early 2000s, such as combat against objectives, strict class roles, and no loot microtransactions. For a genre starved of authentic classic experiences, it sounded too good to be true. According to the veterans of r/MMORPG, it was.

Almost immediately, users began noticing similarities between Xjum's brand and Gummy52. For the uninitiated, Gummy52 is a legendary but polarizing figure in the private server community. He is best known for Error mysterya Burning Crusade server that launched in 2017 to massive hype, only to be shut down mere hours later. At the time, Gummy cited a cease-and-desist letter from Snowstorm and a severe muscular dystrophy condition that prevented him from moving the server offshore. While many sympathized with his health struggles, the pattern of hype followed by abrupt silence left a deep mark on the community.

“The red flags? Honestly, I never would have even investigated the whole situation if it wasn't for the fake mod post from Gummy,” Reddit moderator Darknotical, who played a key role in the investigation, told Game Rant. “He claimed that people falsely accused him of being Gummy and lied about using bots. So I went to the Dreadmyst discord and asked him some questions to try to get the full story. He made some self-incriminating comments and after that I dug a little deeper and found out that his account used to send modmail was also associated with Felmyst content.”

Users also pointed out that Xjum's YouTube channel logo appeared to be an AI scaled-up version of Gummy52's old avatar – a visual fingerprint they said was hard to explain away as coincidence. Other users posted a video showing Gummy52 using the alias “Xjum” in previous development streams years earlier.

“When all of this was done, he commented in his disagreement and basically admitted that he was Gummy. It's not a big step,” Darknotical said. The revelation turned the subreddit into a war zone, with accusations of vote manipulation as threads critical of the game were bombarded with downvotes. “We even saw a couple of posts go from 400 upvotes to 0 in a matter of seconds due to bots.”

Reddit user Fit_Meaning6661, a vocal critic in the threads, summed up the community's concerns: “his mat pulled like 3 wow private servers right after launch”. For these players, Dreadmyst wasn't just a game; it was a trap waiting to be sprung.

“Asset Flip” and security fear

While the identity drama fueled the fire, the actual content of the game provided the fuel. Despite the impressive custom engine, the visual and audio assets of the Dread mystery looked like a legal minefield. Players quickly identified icons ripped directly from Magic: The Gatheringcharacter models that bear a striking resemblance to those in Lords of the Fallenand sound effects lifted wholesale sales from NCSoft's Aion.

“I personally don't see how the game is still up,” Darknotical said. “It uses stolen and copyrighted assets that also use an engine that contributes to a majority of game content.”

The developer's defense of asset use has been inconsistent. While some Discord messages claim that assets were “bought”, community members point out that assets from franchises like Aion and The Witcher are not legally available for purchase in asset stores.

Compounding the allegations of theft of assets were serious security concerns. The game launched without a functional terms of service or privacy policy. When users tried to reset their passwords, they were directed to a dead email address. This led to rampant speculation that the client was actually a harvester or malware vehicle.

In addition, the game's business model raises eyebrows. Dread mystery is completely free, no cash shop and no donation link. For a genre that requires expensive server maintenance, this generosity looks suspicious to veterans.

“Add the cryptic comments from himself saying 'The game is non-profit in nature' should be a serious red flag,” Darknotical warned. “If you don't pay for the product, you are the product.” Xjum did not respond to a request for comment regarding these allegations.

The “Nuclear” option: Release of source code

Faced with allegations of malware and identity fraud, Xjum did something no one expected: he open-sourced the client.

In a post on the Steam forums, Xjum addressed the rumors head-on, though he notably sidestepped the Gummy52 identity confirmation.

“Just wanted to make this clear for people wandering here without context,” Xjum wrote. “This isn't a small team, or an 'indie studio' – it's just one guy, me. The source code is all original and my own.”

He then provided a link to the full client source code, specifically highlighting the security protocols to debunk the malware theories.

“Credentials are sent securely over TLS 1.3, the current modern standard for security,” he explained, pointing users to the specific lines of code management authentication.

This move fundamentally changed the story. By exposing the code, Xjum essentially proved that the game – at least mechanically – is not a scam. It's a functional, purpose-built MMORPG engine.

However, the source code cannot fix copyright infringement. As Darknotical pointed out, the “free engine” defense does not apply when the art assets sitting on top of it belong to Wizards of the Coast.

For now, the servers remain online, and a confused but curious player base continues to log in. But with the source code now in the wild, the community has already turned to a new question on social media: “Can we modify it?”

The issuance of the code essentially guarantees Dread mystery will survive, even if the official servers are taken down. By giving the community the keys to the kingdom, Xjum may have hedged its own game. If the game shuts down for any reason, the code is already in the wild. For a developer accused of killing his darlings, do Dread mystery immortal via open source could be the ultimate act of redemption, or just another layer of chaos.