LogInThomas Mahler has elaborated on his recent Discord post encouraging players who enjoyed No Rest for the Wicked to leave a positive review.
Over the weekend, a post made on No Rest for the Wicked's official Discord server caught the attention of several gaming outlets, prompting speculation that Moon Studios, the creator of NRftW and the Ori duology, was on the verge of shutting down.
Authored by Moon Studios CEO Thomas Mahler, the post encouraged players who liked No Rest for the Wicked's Early Access version but hadn't given it a positive review yet to do so. Mahler noted that the game's review bombing could lead to fewer sales going forward, resulting in less revenue for the studio – which isn't backed by any major developer and doesn't have a financial safety cushion to rely on – and potentially causing Moon Studios to shut down.
"I wouldn't ask if our business wouldn't be dependent on it," the CEO wrote. "I also never write reviews on anything, but if you want to see us actually finish Wicked, it's detrimental that we get that review score back up."
Following the statement's publication, several news websites, including Windows Central and Gamereactor UK, picked up the story, with the latter going so far as to claim that the "Ori studio [is] in crisis" and facing "significant financial trouble," leading many to believe that the acclaimed developer is indeed about to go bankrupt.
The media's portrayal of the story prompted Mahler to post an update on Twitter, clarifying the reasoning behind his original message. The CEO explained that his intention wasn't to combat legitimate negative feedback pertaining to actual troubles No Rest for the Wicked undeniably has right now, nor was it to threaten players into changing their reviews from negative to positive or risk stopping the game's development entirely.
Instead, he aimed to push back against what he referred to as "bullsh*t reviews" – ones unrelated to the game itself and left by players for other reasons, primarily, as strongly implied by Mahler, because they disagree with his political views.
"I have no issue telling active players who love Wicked that they should go ahead and leave a positive review on Steam," he said. "After all, it's allowed on Steam to buy a game, leave a negative review that doesn't even talk about the game at all (there are negative Wicked reviews that literally just say '.'), and then instantly refund it… and the negative review still counts. If that's allowed, then it should also be allowed for a developer to encourage their players to share their real experiences."
He also addressed the cash-related sensationalism, like the one Gamereactor UK engaged in, commenting that Moon Studios is "not in immediate financial danger" and is "operating as usual."
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