Image courtesy of Toby Fox
Toby Fox, creator of indie darling "Undertale," is releasing the second chapter only of his new game, "Deltarune," for free.
Why it matters: "Deltarune" is the episodic, highly anticipated sophomore title from creator Toby Fox.
- The free chapter is because "the world has been really tough for everybody recently," said Fox on the game's website.
- "Just one request — please remember, games like this aren't normally free. If you can afford it, spend the money you saved from getting this game for free by supporting other indie devs."
- Fox said that once Chapters 3, 4 and 5 are complete, he'll ask people to buy the game for the price of the first five chapters.
- "I don't know the price yet, but it's definitely going to cost more than 'Undertale.'"
Fox also announced that developers are skipping its episodic release schedule in favor of a simultaneous release for the next three chapters.
The big picture: Despite the format's rise in popularity at studios like (now defunct) Telltale Games, releasing games episodically, with long time periods between each new chapter, isn't always an attractive option.
- Fox said that while the original plan had been to launch chapters as they were finished, "it's hard both for creators and fans to go a long time without a release. So, I changed my mind."
- The game is no longer a solo project, says Fox, who worked on "Undertale" alone. Its second chapter is larger.
- "Deltarune" remains a highly anticipated game; Chapter 2 was so popular, it crashed seller itch.io when it was released last week.
What's next: It's been two years since the release of Chapter 1; there's no word on when the next three will arrive.
- "I won't know the answer until it's done," wrote Fox.