In Schedule 1, you build a drug empire like Walter White from Breaking Bad and make a lot of money. However, on one continent, the Steam hit has suddenly disappeared, and that’s due to a small but crucial mistake by the developer.
This is what Schedule 1 is about:
- In Schedule 1, you create your own character and get into the drug business – either solo or in co-op with your friends. The goal of the game is to build an empire and make as much money as possible.
- The game is currently in Early Access. It was mostly developed by a single person named Tyler, also known as TVGS (“Tyler’s Video Game Studio”). The developer has involved the community in the development process from the very beginning.
- Schedule 1 became a Steam hit and briefly had 414,000 concurrent players. Initially, Tyler had concerns that the title might be too niche and could ruin the game for him.
Now the developer has spoken out on X – with a message to his fans. Because: The game has suddenly disappeared from Steam on an entire continent. And it seems that Tyler messed it up himself.
No release in Australia – where the development studio is located
What did the developer screw up? In Australia, there is an age rating system for movies and computer games. This means they must be classified before they can be released. If the classification is skipped, meaning effectively refused, the game cannot be sold, advertised, or distributed (source: classification.gov.au).
And this is where the catch lies. The developer apparently thought this only applied to consoles or physical games and simply overlooked the classification. On X, Tyler explains:
To everyone in Australia: You may have noticed that Schedule I is no longer visible on Steam. Don’t worry – the game has not been banned. It turns out that all games sold in Australia must receive an age rating/classification (I thought this only applied to console and physical releases 😅).
I will contact the responsible authority today to clarify this as soon as possible. Sorry for the inconvenience!
Tyler_TVGS, May 12, 2025
Anyone currently trying to find the game in the Australian Steam store gets according to PCGamesN just the message: “This item is currently unavailable in your region.”
Little fun fact: The development studio TVGS is based in Sydney, Australia – exactly where the game is currently blocked (via scheduleonegame.com).
Is it the same in Germany? There are now clear rules in Germany as well. Since November 15, 2024, it has been mandatory for all games on Steam to have an age rating. The reasoning behind this regulation lies in youth protection.
This initially caused quite a chaos because many games suddenly disappeared from the German store. However, Schedule 1 is still available – both in the store and in your Steam library. Thus, nothing stands in the way of your digital drug empire in Germany.
When Steam will respond to Tyler’s request and unlock the game for Australia remains open for the time being. What is certain is that an expert has already examined the source code of Schedule 1 and found some tricks to help you earn money and experience points faster. You can find out more about it here: Expert dissects Schedule 1, finds tricks for more money and EXP
