The development of the cult-favorite immersive sim Fortune's Run has reportedly been halted as its lead developer, known as Dizzie, faces significant personal and legal challenges. Dizzie claims that Valve, the operator of Steam, is refusing to grant her legal control over the project, withholding approximately $9,000. This situation is compounded by Dizzie's accusations of domestic abuse and financial theft against a former partner, identified as Kim.
Dizzie recently detailed her situation in a Steam update, stating that Kim allegedly abused her and misappropriated funds from various platforms including Patreon and PayPal. She also claims Kim made unauthorized withdrawals and engaged in infidelity. Dizzie asserts that she is unable to secure identification or obtain the necessary legal documentation to resolve the ownership dispute due to restrictions imposed by her parole and interactions with law enforcement. She also stated that police deemed her attempts to press charges against Kim for fraud, death threats, and sexual abuse as a civil matter, and claims her parole officer cited these issues as grounds for her recent re-incarceration.
Despite these severe personal setbacks, Dizzie expressed a desire to continue working on Fortune's Run. She indicated that while Steam presents an insurmountable obstacle, it might be possible to pursue development on other platforms like GOG and the Epic Games Store. However, she noted that these platforms generate a significantly smaller portion of the game's revenue, with Fortune's Run earning roughly $200,000 on Steam compared to only $5,000 on GOG. Dizzie stated her intention to release a new update for the game, even if it means abandoning its commercial viability.
Correspondence shared by Dizzie with Steam Support suggests a complex administrative challenge. A Steam representative questioned Dizzie's attempt to transfer game ownership from what appeared to be Kim's Steam account, emphasizing that the original signatory of the Steam Distribution Agreement must initiate such transfers and providing a link for account ownership verification.
Fortune's Run is currently experiencing review bombing on Steam, with its recent reviews rated as "Mostly Negative" out of 63 reviews, contrasting with an overall rating of "Mostly Positive" from 599 reviews. Dizzie attributes this influx of negative reviews to the website Kiwi Farms. She also stated that when she informed Valve about the alleged sexual abuse by the individual who she claims currently owns the platform, the company requested written permission from that individual to regain access to the accounts.
At the time of reporting, Fortune's Run appears to be unavailable for purchase on Steam, despite Dizzie's apparent intention to set the game's price to one dollar. Kotaku has reached out to Valve for comment regarding their policies for handling such complex situations and the potential return of the game to sale.