Ori and the Blind Forest studio head says they could be forced to “shut down” due to the impact of negative Steam reviews for ‘No Rest for the Wicked’

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It’s no secret that Microsoft’s “Xbox One” generation was a bit of a dud, for a variety of reasons.

10 years after the rocky introduction of the Xbox One, issues stemming from that initial mishap continue to surface. With the global preference shifting towards PlayStation 4, approximately 40 million users found themselves tied to Sony’s digital environment.

This generation, it’s been hard to part ways because the expense of gaining users tied to digital platforms for content has grown significantly, exceeding what is financially practical. As a result, Xbox has been increasingly making its exclusive games such as Forza and Gears available on PlayStation.

The significance of the Xbox’s historical account in relation to this article lies in the fact that, amidst the challenging Gen-8 console era for Xbox, Moon Studios stood out as a beacon of success.

The Xbox One unveiling was followed by a prolonged period where Microsoft neglected to sufficiently fund exclusive content. Most of the first-party games they released during the Xbox One era were generally considered mediocre, with some real flops like Crackdown 3 included. Even their top-tier games seldom garnered “Game of the Year” recognition, except for two: Ori and the Blind Forest, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps.

Reframing the statement: Moon Studios, renowned for Ori’s stunning visuals, precise gameplay, emotional narrative, and enchanting soundtrack, stood out as a beacon of quality during the Xbox One era. Fast-forward to 2025, Moon Studios is working on their next project, No Rest for the Wicked, which appears to be posing a significant challenge for this independent team.

The game “No Rest for the Wicked” shows great promise, taking inspiration from games such as Diablo, Soulsborne, and Soulslike titles. Like Moon Studios’ previous works, it delivers exceptional visuals, atmosphere, and gameplay. Yet, it’s important to note that the game is currently in Early Access, a phase that hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

Currently, the game “No Rest for the Wicked” has mixed feedback on Steam, with players expressing concerns about diverse aspects of its design. Apart from its challenging nature, users are requesting improvements in user-friendly features and clearer explanations of certain game mechanics. Some also criticize the emphasis on material grinding. Recently, Thomas Mahler, founder and lead of Moon Studios, addressed the effect of the review process on game sales and cautioned about potential consequences for the studio if things don’t improve.

Mahler expressed, “I believe people might perceive my requests for positive reviews as a joke because they assume there’s a large publishing company backing me financially.

Dear community, if you are here, appreciating Wicked and eagerly awaiting further developments, but haven’t taken a moment to leave a positive review, please consider doing so. If we don’t receive enough favorable feedback, we could unfortunately cease operations within a few months due to negative reviews affecting sales. This would mean we wouldn’t be able to continue our work on the game anymore, as we rely on your support financially.

“I wouldn’t inquire about our business progress unless it was reliant on this. Moreover, I rarely write reviews, but if you want us to complete Wicked successfully, it is crucial that we regain a good review score.”

Mahler made an observation that unfavorable Steam reviews could potentially be detrimental to studios, stating that if No Rest for the Wicked doesn’t improve its performance soon, the studio might not have much time left before it closes down. He also mentioned the issue of review bombing faced by Path of Exile 2 during early access, with players choosing to leave negative reviews as a form of feedback.

“I guess folks may not realize they could inadvertently contribute to a studio’s downfall by posting negative reviews, even though it’s the place they admire and wish to thrive. Some might assume this is the only means of reaching out, but even stalwarts like Grinding Gear Games can’t tolerate those low review scores indefinitely.”

To regain ownership of the publishing rights, we had to make significant sacrifices. We have a limited time frame – if our sales don’t increase due to negative reviews like yours, it could potentially lead to our downfall. However, your feedback is valuable to us and we will always listen, regardless. I am reading every single comment that comes in either way.

The perils of early access vs. Steam reviews

Developing games in public view, with feedback along the way, is now commonly achieved through early access. Microsoft games such as Towerborne and Grounded have taken advantage of this approach, leading me to ponder if Sea of Thieves might have profited from it too during its initial phases. However, it’s important to note that early access isn’t a guaranteed solution for success.

While some games do well when they’re still being developed through early access, it appears that fans might be hesitant to give Moon Studios’ new game, No Rest for the Wicked, a fair chance, given the high standards set by their previous work. Early access can provide ongoing funding for a game in development, but a poor initial reception could have a significant negative impact on some projects, as the saying goes, “You only get one chance to make a strong first impression.

For me personally, I tend to enjoy playing games once they’ve been fully developed, but the concept of a game being “fully developed” has grown less clear in 2025 due to continuous updates.

Originally, I intended to start playing “No Rest for the Wicked” again only after it was completely done, but now I’m worried it may not reach that stage. At this point, I can only hope a deal similar to what Towerborne has with Stoic for Xbox Game Pass might be possible, which could help me continue playing.

Support the skilled independent artists and creators at Moon Studios, who are known for their work like Ori and the Blind Forest. If you’re interested in showing them appreciation, think about purchasing their game on Steam and sharing some favorable and helpful feedback.

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2025-05-11 23:09