LogInDeveloper SCKR Games has pulled Only Up! from the platform, deciding to "put the game behind".
Image Credit: SCKR Games, Only Up!
SCKR Games, the Solo Game Developer behind the viral yet highly controversial game Only Up!, which quickly garnered the attention of Twitch and YouTube streamers and became one of the most streamed games upon its release, has opted to remove the game from Steam, seemingly indefinitely.
According to a brief announcement shared by the creator, the Getting Over It/Jump King-inspired 3D platformer was initially developed as their first project and has caused significant stress for the developer over the past few months. Eager to "put the game behind," the developer has made the game unavailable on Steam and plans to take a break to continue their education in game design. It's worth noting that, as of now, the Steam page for the game has not been removed and, unlike Only Up! itself, can still be accessed.
"I'm a solo developer and this game is my first experience in Gamedev, a game I did for creativity, to test myself, and where I made a lot of mistakes," commented SCKR Games on Steam. "The game has kept me under a lot of stress all these months. Now I want to put the game behind me. And yes, the game won't be available in the Steam store soon, that's what I decided myself. What I need now is peace of mind and healing. I plan to take a pause, and continue my education in game design and further with new experience and knowledge to direct my energies to my next game with the working title 'Kith'."
Speaking of Kith, the developer disclosed that it will have a bigger emphasis on realism and cinematography, along with a complete shift in genre and setting. Additionally, the creator noted that the game will be a collaborative effort involving a small team rather than a solo project.
"[Kith] will be a new experience and a new concept with realism, a completely different genre and setting, and the emphasis is on cinematography. This time I hope the project will be created by a small team. This is a challenging project on which I want to significantly improve my skills in game design. Thank you for your understanding."
Image Credit: SCKR Games, Only Up!
Before its removal, the game had been embroiled in controversy and had already been removed from Steam once. In June, Only Up! was taken off Valve's platform due to the use of copyrighted assets, but it returned a day later with those assets removed. In July, it was revealed that an "anime girl" asset had been mistakenly added to the game, but this issue was resolved peacefully with the asset's creator.
The game's main controversy, however, centered around its promotion of the Goblintown NFT series by prominently featuring the series' logo throughout the game. When this information became public, Only Up! faced significant backlash and lost its appeal to many, which is hardly surprising considering the widespread disdain for NFTs within the online community, not to mention Valve's stance on the matter.
Image Credit: SCKR Games, Only Up!
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