In 2005 researcher Julian Kücklich argued that video game modification developers, or “modders,” had a long way to go until they were recognized as real workers, and not just people playing at game design. The game industry, after all, had no incentive to change these perceptions: they benefited from modders’ unpaid labor.

But with their April 23 announcement that they would begin compensating modders, Valve, the digital game publisher and developer, has called this assumption into question. The change in policy — which only applied to Steam, Valve’s digital distribution platform — was immediately met with a mix of surprise, anger, and cautious optimism from gamers, developers, and modification makers. The CEO of Valve, Gabe Newell, went on Reddit to explain his company’s actions, and was promptly “downvoted” into oblivion.

On April 27 Valve cancelled the program, at least until they could iron out the kinks. In its own way, the whole ordeal reflects the growing class struggle over digital labor, leisure, and play in the games industry — as well as society writ large.