Dev's 3-Year Prison Sentence Halts 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 FPS Fortune's Run will be disappointed to learn that the game may remain in early access for an extended period, as its creator faces a three-year prison sentence. While paused development is not uncommon for Steam games, the reasons are typically financial or technical challenges. However, Fortune's Run faces a unique situation with its sole developer being unable to work due to incarceration.

Before the news of the developer's prison sentence, Fortune's Run had achieved notable success on Steam. It boasts a "Very Positive" rating, with many players appreciating its nostalgic art style and innovative gameplay, despite being in early access. Unfortunately, any further updates will be significantly delayed. While other games like Half-Life 2 have overcome development hurdles, the future of Fortune's Run remains uncertain.

The creator and sole developer of Fortune's Run, known as Dizzie, shared the news via a Steam update on January 14. Dizzie was candid about their three-year prison sentence, which will interrupt development until their release. Although the specific crime was not disclosed, Dizzie admitted to being "a very violent person" during that phase of their life. This situation is unusual, as delays due to a developer's imprisonment are rare, though other gaming personalities like streamer Johnny Somali have recently faced legal issues in South Korea.

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 now the only person working on the game, and development will be completely paused during their three-year sentence, starting in February 2025. The game's Steam page still lists an early access exit target of 2026, but meeting this deadline now seems highly unlikely. However, other indie games like Satisfactory have taken over five years to leave early access, suggesting that a three-year delay for Fortune's Run is not unprecedented.

Dizzie remains optimistic, stating in the update that they plan to complete the game once released from prison. In the meantime, players can continue enjoying the game in its current state. There are also numerous excellent early access shooters on Steam that can help fill the gap until Dizzie resumes development.

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