In the early days of gaming, the notion of post-launch support was largely an afterthought, primarily associated with space missions rather than video games. Players might recall the occasional download of a patch over a slow 56k modem, but that was about the extent of it. Fast forward to today, and the landscape has dramatically shifted. Gamers now anticipate ongoing support for months, if not years, after a game’s release. This support extends beyond mere bug fixes; developers are often expected to introduce new content—frequently at no additional cost—to maintain favorable reviews on platforms like Steam.
Developer Fatigue and the End of an Era
Such expectations can weigh heavily on developers, as illustrated by the experience of RyseUp Studio, the creators of Roboquest. This vibrant rogue-lite first-person shooter, which invites players to blast robots through ever-changing environments, first entered Steam’s early access in 2020 and celebrated its full release in 2023. Since then, RyseUp has diligently supported the game, but after a decade of commitment, the studio has announced that this support will soon conclude. In a recent Steam blog post, they expressed, “We know many of you would have loved to see more updates, more content, more Roboquest. But that isn’t something we are able to deliver.”
As the curtain falls on Roboquest, the only remaining updates will be a PlayStation port scheduled for late May and a standalone spinoff titled Roboquest VR. However, this marks not an end for RyseUp but a transition toward new endeavors. The developers are now channeling their energy into a fresh project, stating, “With the experience we accumulated and all the errors we made along the way, we’re aiming for a much, much more efficient development plan.”
While some may interpret this shift as an admission of mismanagement during Roboquest‘s support phase, it’s essential to recognize that the game has garnered an overwhelmingly positive reception on Steam, boasting over 16,000 reviews. This raises a pertinent question: why do developers feel compelled to apologize for concluding support on a project they dedicated a decade to, especially when such extensive support was never part of the original plan?
This situation underscores the evolving expectations surrounding game development. For large publishers releasing high-budget shooters priced at , a decade-long support promise may seem reasonable. Yet, for smaller studios like RyseUp, which offer their games at a fraction of that cost, the pressure to maintain an unsustainable pace until burnout becomes a genuine concern.
