‘Dead Cells’ designer says lack of new updates is “asshole move”

12 February, 2024

Dead Cells designer Sébastien Benard has hit out at Motion Twin for its decision to stop updating the roguelike-Metroidvania game.

Following the success of Dead Cells in 2018, Motion Twin set up separate studio Evil Empire in 2019 to focus on updating the game, allowing Motion Twin to work on new projects. However, last week a statement confirmed that the upcoming Update 35 would be the last.

The update “marks the end of our creative journey on the game” said Motion Twin. “Our commitment to avoiding the ‘more of the same’ trap and keeping Dead Cells fresh and original has led us to this point; as we’ve seen with other long-running series, it’s crucial not to overextend and risk diminishing the unique charm that makes Dead Cells special to us all.

“This change explains the recent quiet period on updates, as concluding such a partnership required careful planning to ensure a smooth process for everyone, including the community,” it continued. “In closing, we are wishing the best to Evil Empire on their upcoming projects and want to express our deepest gratitude to you, the players, for your unwavering support and passion for Dead Cells. Your enthusiasm fuels our commitment, and we’re eager to embark on the next chapter of this journey together.”

Benerard has since called the statement “total marketing bullshit”. Benard was one of the co-founders of Motion Twin, but left the studio in 2020 to set up his own studio. Taking to the official Dead Cells discord (via VGC) he wrote: “Since you’re asking me, I’d just say [Motion Twin] did the worst imaginable asshole move against Dead Cells and [Evil Empire].”

“Having seen first hand the actual situation behind the scene, I can honestly say I’m glad to not be part of this anymore. The official statement is total marketing bullshit, the way this situation happened is on a whole different level.”

“I never imagined my former co-op studio would turn out to be such greedy people. I wish the absolute best to [Evil Empire] for their next things, and hope people working there will survive this sudden economic cut.”

However a separate statement from Evil Empire says the team have been “unleashed to pump their talent into secret projects” with updates expected soon.

In other news, a fan has seemingly decoded the secret language found in Super Mario Sunshine, 22 years after the Gamecube game was released.

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