Fake ‘Schedule 1’ PlayStation 5 Game Tricks Players – Sony Needs A Nintendo Seal of Approval for PSN

Players eager to dive into Schedule 1 on PlayStation 5 were in for a rude awakening when a game pretending to be it appeared on the PlayStation Store. The impostor title had a similar name and artwork. However, players who mistakenly purchased the game flooded the title with negative reviews after realizing they had been duped.

‘Schedule 1’ PlayStation 5 Release Is too Good to be True

A game called SCHEDULE mysteriously appeared on the PlayStation Store on April 25, 2025. While it was technically missing the “1” from its title, it had similar enough artwork and a logo to trick those not paying close enough attention. Users excited to finally play the hit drug-dealer sim rushed to purchase it, thinking it was the long-awaited Schedule 1 PS5 release. However, disappointment and rage would soon develop as it was not the official game made by TVGS.

SCHEDULE is from a company called PublishMe Agency Limited. To be clear, Schedule 1 by no means owns the drug-dealing genre. The problem is that the PlayStation listing had artwork that perfectly mirrored Schedule 1‘s box art. It literally shows the main character smoking, looking left while pointing a gun. Its “Schedule” logo even had a “1” under it in the game’s listing artwork.

Hell, even the game’s description is incredibly similar to Schedule 1. “Use your growing profits to upgrade equipment, automate operations, and explore new, riskier ventures. Expand your reach into different territories and control the flow of supply and demand. Build trust with powerful clients, manage your inner circle, and make the kind of deals that change everything—fast.” Definitely not Schedule 1.

YouTube channel ‘The Player X’ further confirmed just how identical the games are after they uploaded a 7-minute gameplay video. From the UI to core gameplay mechanics, it looks like a direct clone in every way. The only thing missing is Schedule 1‘s goofy-ass Rick & Morty art style, which is what gives the game its character and humor.

Fake PS5 Listing Changes name

Within days of SCHEDULE going live, the game was quickly bombarded with negative reviews. Over 1.6k people left negative ratings for the PSN listing, leaving it currently at 1.28 stars out of 5. However, on April 27, the SCHEDULE game changed its name to WEED DRUG EMPIRE. The game’s artwork, however, is still the same.

It’s impossible to know if the company behind the PSN listing made the change due to the negative reviews or out of fear that it would be accused of stealing from Schedule 1. The irony is not lost on me, though, that Schedule 1 is currently under investigation for alleged copyright infringement of Drug Dealer Simulator. Still, it’s undeniable that Schedule 1 is one of the gaming industry’s biggest success stories of 2025.

Schedule 1 even beat out Assassin’s Creed Shadows in terms of Steam sales and continues to have one of the highest active player bases this year. So, it’s a little disheartening to see others trying to jump on the bandwagon to take away some of its success. If nothing else, though, this is a reminder that the PlayStation Store desperately needs better moderation. There is too much junk on the digital platform, and standards have gotten too lax. Can we please bring back Nintendo’s Seal of Approval?