Game Developer sentenced to prison, halting work on beloved FPS Fortune’s Run

Dizzie, the creator of Fortune’s Run, a well-known first-person shooter, has announced that she’s stopping the development after receiving a three-year prison sentence.

The announcement was shared on Fortune’s Steam page. Dizzie wrote, “First of all, I have some stuff going on I need to make public as it’s going to interrupt development.” She has been “sentenced to prison for the next three years.”

Dizzie added that her life was very different and troubled before becoming a developer. She was a violent person in the past and, therefore, was guilty of hurting people in her life.

The lead developer of the game has been guilty of this case for about five years now. “I’m going away next month,”  says Dizzie. She admitted that the sentence couldn’t undo the damage, but these are the things that happened as a result of her actions.

Dizzies’s wife was the only other developer working with her

Fortune’s Run was launched on Steam’s early access period in September 2023. It mixes fast-paced shooting with immersive sim mechanics like Deus Ex and Thief. The game received a positive reception. It’s even labeled as one of the best shooters you can play right now by PC Gamer.

Dizzie did not specify what charges led to her sentence, but she does say she is not a sexual offender. “What I did was wrong, and that’s all you need to know.” She also clarified that the case predates her relationship with Arachne, who wasn’t part of it. Arachne was also the only developer working with Dizzie.

Dizzie explained that Arachne exited the project after a botched surgery. Dizzie admitted that the stress of her legal issues and nonstop work schedule may have contributed to her departure.

Dizzie said that when Arachne recovered, ” she decided that she was no longer interested in game development.” Her unfinished work includes quality assurance and some level of design. The rest of the development was managed solo by Dizzie, which she says “has been very difficult to do alone.” However, she completed the work for the release before she was “sent away.”

Dizzie intends to finish Fortune’s Run after her release in a few years

Until Dizzie’s release, “development will be completely interrupted.”

She also insisted that the game’s success was stable enough for her financial situation to improve. “I should be able to afford rent once I get out.” Dizzie hopes her fans will wait a few years for her to release the rest of the remaining content under development. There isn’t much left as she just has been working on the “stubs and prototypes of the missing levels”

Sharing her passion for game development, Dizzie said, “I’m never going to stop making games.” About Fortune’s Run, she says, “I love this game, and I want to finish it.” However, her prison sentence complicates things.

Fortune’s Run also got a new patch from Dizzie and a promise of another before she goes to prison. The game stands as her legacy, as will whatever her sentence means for its future.

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