As first reported by PCGamesN, original Dead Cells designer Sébastien Benard reportedly criticized the decision to end updates in the game’s official Discord server.
Developer and publisher Motion Twin announced last week that Update 35 will be the final creative update.
Motion Twin’s announcement elaborated that “it’s crucial not to overextend and risk diminishing the unique charm”. They emphasized the need to remain creatively fresh.
However, Benard had strong words against Motion Twin. He called Motion Twin’s decision “the worst imaginable a**hole move”, and their official statement “total marketing bulls***”.
They also refer to “the actual situation behind the scenes”, implying there could be more to Dead Cells’ ending than believed.
It’s possible that Motion Twin could be looking to cut back on spending, but that’s only speculation. There have certainly been plenty of recent layoffs in the industry.
Even Microsoft laid off 1,900 employees last month, and the company recently defended itself against FTC claims over the cuts.
Dead Cells’ developers released a few expansions over the years, and each consistently proved successful.
Benard concluded in their Discord post that “I can honestly say I’m glad to not be part of this anymore”.
At this time, Motion Twin has not responded to Benard’s comments.
Insider Gaming previously interviewed Evil Empire COO Benjamin Laulan in October 2023. The future of Dead Cells seemed brighter then, as Laulan mentioned “we’ll have stuff for next year”.
Unfortunately, Update 35 will now be the final update. But the Dead Cells universe will continue to expand. Last year, the devs announced that an animated series adaptation is in the works.
Dead Cells is also getting a board game adaptation, with a consistent art design and gameplay style.
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