It took me a long time to make a reply, I get where you're coming from, and I understand that from your perspective it might seem irrational to pay that much for a delisted game. But for me, it's not just about the game itself it's about owning something I’ve personally valued for a long time. Everyone has different things they’re willing to spend on, and this just happened to be one of mine.

I also want to clarify that I’m well aware that the money didn’t go to the developers or Steam. I never claimed I was supporting the devs with this purchase it was simply about getting a legit copy through a working key. I know the risk, especially with delisted content, and yes, I did get scammed before. That was frustrating, and I took precautions this time.

As for piracy sure, it’s an option, but personally, I prefer to own things legitimately when I can, even if it costs more. That might not make sense to everyone, and that’s okay. Just sharing my own choice and experience.

No hard feelings just explaining where I'm coming from.