Brigadier Elm

I think Tyron has succinctly addressed the real concerns about Anego's stability and future, as well as that of Vintage Story. I think anyone postulating about "you took my money and didn't give me the completed game" is off the mark anyway, as the game has a good amount of content already and as of right now has not showed signs of slowing down updates. I do want to see VS become what I believe it could be - a landmark title in game development history. Thanks @Tyron for keeping an open door to discussion, and whatever internal decisions occur I believe you're acting in good faith which is all we can ask for. I look forward to the future of VS, Anego, and whatever the new project becomes. All the best to the team as well, and thanks to Pizza for the shelving update, it was much needed

Thanks for taking the time out to expand on the original post, it addresses a lot of my concern - I look forward to the next VS updates! I do think there's appeal to create something like Hytale, after all Tyron was originally working on it. There is an element of "Strike whilst the iron is hot" to also capture some of the audience from a studio standpoint. The main concern I had was simply with VS updates being affected - they're moving towards streamlined updates to get content out faster so 1.21 is smaller, but I'm glad the content is there. I suppose there is a potential decision to be made if a "Beta Branch" should exist so server owners can keep a stable platform, whilst others can opt in for a potentially buggier but more content rich experience.

Optimistically, this new mode becomes a valuable addition. One that shares tech and benefits both projects. Pessimistically, and with Hytale’s collapse as a recent example, it risks dividing focus, delaying both efforts, and weakening the long-term stability of the studio. That is not speculation. It is risk management. This is not about doubting Tyron’s intelligence. It is about wanting the studio and Vintage Story’s original vision to succeed. That success depends on careful decisions about timing, capacity, and communication. Communication is part of the problem here. This announcement came suddenly, right after Hytale’s unexpected dissolution, without a clear explanation of what “spinning it off” would actually mean. Will players lose access? Will it become a paid product down the line? These gaps in detail do not inspire confidence. They create uncertainty. I understand why some people are excited. There is creative potential, modding opportunities, and a fresh team with energy. But part of supporting a studio also means holding it accountable when the scope shifts mid-project. That is not pessimism. That is looking out for the game we backed in the first place. Tyron has made efforts to reassure us that Vintage Story will stay true to its vision. He has said that this new mode is a side project, and that it will initially be bundled in at no extra cost. That is appreciated, but it does not fully resolve the ambiguity. If the new project succeeds and spins off, what does that mean for current players? Will access change? Will development on the main game slow, whether the new mode succeeds or not? These are fundamental questions about priorities and long-term direction that still need clearer answers. This does not have to be divisive. But if the goal is to maintain trust and momentum, the studio would benefit from a more structured roadmap and a clearer explanation of how both projects will coexist without compromise. And to echo what others have said. If you have brought in strong new talent, why not direct that strength toward finishing the product that is already proven, already has a player base, and still has a long list of work ahead?

I'm guessing the appeal here is to branch the studio in the vein of similar indie startups, I.E Auroch Studios, Hyperstrange, Chucklefish. Personally I can't say I'm a fan of the idea - I want the game I purchased to be more feature complete, Hytale is not a product that would appeal to me and for your current player base I can't picture how that Venn diagram looks either. I'm all for extending the olive branch to get the talent in the door, but why not just use that talent to work on the product you're already building - at least get the story finished, and not half bake rushed out the door either. Onboarding to the current project would take less time, and give more value to the current product - best case on this path you're spread thin for project management for 6 months to a year while you onboard, develop the secondary project idea beyond "hytale but finished in the VS engine", and then development really gets underway. Worst case you cannot guide two projects to fruition, and they both suffer - and dwindle or collapse the studio resource pool.