Luanti, a voxel game-creation platform, was removed from the Google Play Store following a DMCA notice filed by Tracer.AI on behalf of Microsoft. The notice alleged that Luanti infringed on Minecraft's copyright, despite the app containing no proprietary Minecraft code or assets. This action marks the second time Luanti has faced such a claim, with a similar notice successfully appealed in 2023, according to the Luanti team blog.
The removal occurred after Tracer.AI submitted the DMCA complaint, which Google acted upon by taking down the app. Luanti clarified that its platform does not include any default games or assets, instead allowing users to create and share their own voxel-based games. The same company also filed a similar notice this year against another indie voxel game called Allumeria, highlighting a pattern of claims targeting voxel-style games.
The incident raises concerns about the use of automated copyright enforcement tools in the gaming industry, especially when applied to creative platforms like Luanti that rely on user-generated content. The repeated targeting of voxel art style games by Tracer.AI, representing Microsoft, underscores the challenges indie developers face in navigating copyright claims. The Luanti team emphasized that cubes and voxel art are common elements not exclusive to any single game, pushing back against the broad application of copyright enforcement.
Luanti is currently unavailable on the Google Play Store while the team prepares to appeal the latest DMCA notice. The company has documented the takedown and its response on its official blog, aiming to restore access and prevent similar incidents from affecting other indie developers in the voxel game space.