The Top-Selling Video Game Title On Steam Is A Cheeky Nod To America’s War On Drugs

Released late last month, a new video game about making it big as an illegal drug dealer has climbed the charts on Steam and currently sits atop the platform’s list of top sellers.

Its title—Schedule I—is a cheeky nod to America’s drug war.

The game’s online description leads with the federal government’s definition of Schedule I substances under the Controlled Substances Act as “drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

Though there’s a pending federal action to reschedule marijuana, the drug features prominently in the game. But players can also manufacture and sell other substances in the game, such as meth, as they work to build a drug empire from the ground up.

Schedule I is the latest in a long series of popular video games involving illegal drug selling, from the text-based Drug Wars of the 1980s to today’s massive Grand Theft Auto franchise.

Schedule I, which sells for $20, has “overwhelmingly positive” reviews on Steam and is No. 1 among top-selling games. It’s currently available as an early access game, with further modifications and installments expected to be added over the next two years.

“You’re a small-time drug dealer rolling into a fresh town with no cash, no product and no connections,” the game’s Steam description says. “Build your drug empire from the ground up in the grungy west-coast city of Hyland Point. Contend against intensifying law enforcement and deadly cartel competitors to expand your empire and reach the peak of the underworld.”

As for how long marijuana will retain its Schedule I status, a process to move the substance to Schedule III, begun under the Biden administration, is still ongoing. President Donald Trump meanwhile, has “no action” planned on marijuana reform, according to a recent report.

Some are nevertheless optimistic. Former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), for example—President Donald Trump’s first pick for U.S. attorney general before he withdrew from consideration—recently said “meaningful” marijuana reform is “on the horizon” under Trump, praising the president’s “leadership” in supporting rescheduling.

In an op-ed published by The Tampa Bay Times last week, Gaetz said that moving cannabis from to Schedule III “won’t solve every problem overnight, but it is a necessary step in the right direction.” And he expressed confidence that Trump will bring about that reform.

“For too long, cannabis has been classified alongside heroin and LSD, substances with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” the former lawmaker wrote in the op-ed. “This classification has severely hindered research, blocked access for patients, including millions of veterans, and burdened legitimate businesses with unnecessary regulations.”

Trump’s personal views on rescheduling are largely limited to a single social media post, though he has previously voiced support for medical cannabis. On the campaign trail, he also backed marijuana industry banking access and a Florida adult-use legalization ballot measure.

But the current administrative process is delayed, with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) judge postponing hearings on the proposal near the end of Biden’s term amid complications related to selected witnesses. That included questions about whether DEA leadership actually supported the proposed rule despite the agency’s role as the “proponent” of the policy.

Adding to the uncertainty around the fate of the rescheduling proposal, Trump’s nominee to lead DEA, Terrance Cole, has previously voiced concerns about the dangers of marijuana and linked its use to higher suicide risk among youth.

As for video games, meanwhile, a recent New York Times report says culture within the National Hockey League (NHL) is changing—with players increasingly opting for marijuana and video games over alcohol and partying.

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Image via Schedule I / YouTube