Steam purges Pepe emoticons from community market after copyright complaint
Several emoticons, all of which can be bought on the marketplace, have been affected by the takedown. While they exist, icons in inventory, showcases, and chat appear as blank images, They now come with a note that reads ''emoticon art currently unavailable due to DMCA takedown notice submitted on behalf of Matt Furie''.
Pepe the Frog was first created by Furie in the 2005 comic series Boy's Club, and became popular meme across several sites, including 4chan. Over time, Pepe has become a symbol of the alt-right, prompting Furie's publisher Fantagraphics Books released a statement condemning ''illegal and repulsive appropriations'' of the Pepe image.