Publisher Pulled From Steam For Planting Positive Reviews

Based on a report from Kotaku, a specific email proved the most damning in this particular case. A letter surfaced from Insel CEO Patrick Streppel encouraging employees to purchase and review the game. It's noted in that email that Streppel cannot force employees to buy the game or write a review, much less control the content of said review. However, Steam felt the implications were pretty clear and, based on the timing of the email and a sudden spike in positive reviews for Insel games, it stands to reason that discussions held "individually and privately" concerning staff and reviews had an impact.