Dev Sentenced to 3 Years, Pauses Steam FPS Game Development

Summary

• Development of the Steam FPS Fortune's Run has been halted due to the creator's 3-year prison sentence.
• The game is now in early access limbo.

Fans of the Steam first-person shooter Fortune's Run will be disappointed to learn that the game may remain stuck in early access for an extended period. The game's sole developer, 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 due to financial or technical issues, this situation is unprecedented.

Fortune's Run had been enjoying considerable success on Steam, earning a "Very Positive" rating from players who appreciated its nostalgic art style and innovative gameplay, even while still in early access. However, with Dizzie's impending prison term, fans will have to wait for any new updates. Although games like Half-Life 2 have overcome prolonged development challenges, the future of Fortune's Run remains uncertain.

Dizzie announced their prison sentence in a Steam update on January 14, stating that development would be paused until their release. They did not specify the nature of the crime but admitted to being "a very violent person" during that period of their life, which occurred before starting work on Fortune's Run. This news comes amidst other high-profile legal issues in the gaming community, such as streamer Johnny Somali's arrest in South Korea, but a game delay due to a prison sentence is rare.

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

Originally, Fortune's Run had another team member who left the project after recovering from a botched surgery and subsequently lost interest in game development. As a result, Dizzie is the only one working on the game, meaning development will completely stop during their three-year sentence, starting in February 2025. Although the game's Steam page still lists an early access exit target of 2026, meeting this deadline is now highly unlikely. However, considering that games like Satisfactory took over five years to leave early access, a three-year delay for Fortune's Run isn't unprecedented within the indie gaming scene.

Dizzie remains optimistic, stating in the post that they intend to complete the game once released from prison. In the meantime, fans can continue playing the current version of the game. There are also numerous other excellent early access shooters available on Steam to tide players over until Dizzie can resume work on Fortune's Run.

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