The recent release of Seekers of the Storm for Risk of Rain 2 has been met with a wave of criticism from fans of the co-op roguelite. The DLC, released last Tuesday, has caused quite a stir, with the game currently sitting at a 79% ‘mostly negative’ rating on Steam. Among the chief complaints are a myriad of bugs that have affected the core systems of the base game. Gearbox, who acquired Risk Of Rain from Hopoo Games in 2022, has acknowledged the issues and has urged players to continue submitting bug reports.
The bittersweet nature of the situation was highlighted by co-creator Duncan Drummond, who expressed his mixed feelings on Xitter. While it is exciting to see new content being added to the game, the growing pains of the new development team are evident. Drummond empathized with both the fans, who have lost functionality in a game they love, and the developers at GBX, who are likely under immense stress trying to address the issues. Despite the current challenges, Drummond expressed his confidence in Gearbox’s commitment to fixing the issues and listening to feedback.
ROR2 lead programmer, co-designer, and concept artist Jeffrey Hunt shared his perspective on the situation, commending the team working on the DLC for doing their best with the time and resources available. However, Hunt acknowledged the difficulty of seeing rushed changes negatively impacting the hard work put into the game. Despite the setbacks, Hunt remains optimistic about Gearbox’s direction and their dedication to the Risk of Rain franchise.
Randolph P. Itchford, another key figure in the development process, reassured fans via Xitter that efforts were being made to address and rectify the issues with Seekers of the Storm. Itchford mentioned being in the “digital war room” all day working on correcting, communicating, and compensating for the problems. While the launch of the DLC has faced significant backlash, it seems that the player base has generally been satisfied with Gearbox’s management of the game thus far.
Looking Ahead
Despite the recent hiccups with Seekers of the Storm, Gearbox had previously received praise for their handling of Risk of Rain 2. The addition of free content, such as the lizards back in May, had been a positive indicator for the game’s community. However, the recent acquisition of Gearbox by Rockstar parent Take-Two and subsequent layoffs have raised questions about the future of the studio and the Risk of Rain franchise.
The release of Seekers of the Storm for Risk of Rain 2 has been a turbulent experience for both fans and developers alike. While the DLC has faced criticism for its numerous bugs and issues, there is hope that Gearbox will address these issues and continue to support the game. Only time will tell how the franchise will evolve in the wake of these challenges.