"Dev's 3-Year Prison Term Halts Steam FPS Game Development"

Summary

• The development of the Steam FPS game Fortune's Run has been halted due to the creator's three-year prison sentence.
• The game is now in a state of early access limbo.

Fans of the Steam FPS game Fortune's Run will be disappointed to learn that the game may remain stuck in early access for an extended period. The game's creator, known as Dizzie, has been sentenced to three years in prison, causing a unique halt in development. While delays in Steam game development are common, often due to financial or technical issues, Fortune's Run faces an unprecedented situation.

Before the announcement of the developer's prison sentence, Fortune's Run had garnered significant praise on Steam, achieving a "Very Positive" rating. Players appreciated its nostalgic art style and innovative gameplay, despite it being in early access. However, any further updates to the game will now be significantly delayed. While games like Half-Life 2 have overcome similar development challenges, the future of Fortune's Run remains uncertain.

Dizzie shared the news of their three-year prison sentence in a Steam update on January 14, explaining that the sentence would interrupt development until their release. Although the specific crime was not disclosed, Dizzie admitted to being "a very violent person" during that period of their life, prior to starting work on Fortune's Run. This situation adds Dizzie to the list of video game personalities facing legal issues, similar to streamer Johnny Somali's recent arrest in South Korea.

Progress on Fortune's Run Won't Continue Until Developer Is Released From Prison

Initially, Fortune's Run had another team member, but they left the project after recovering from a botched surgery and lost interest in game development. As a result, Dizzie is now the sole developer, and development will pause completely during their three-year sentence, which begins in February 2025. The game's Steam page still lists an early access exit target of 2026, but achieving this now seems unlikely. However, considering that games like Satisfactory took over five years to leave early access, a three-year delay for Fortune's Run is not unprecedented in the indie game community.

Dizzie remains optimistic about completing the game post-release from prison. In the meantime, fans can continue to play the current version of the game. There are also numerous other early access shooters available on Steam that can help fill the gap until Dizzie can resume work on Fortune's Run.

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