Epic Games Store and Santa Ragione: A Discontented Partnership
Santa Ragione, the developer behind the horror title Horses, has responded to remarks made by an executive from Epic Games Store regarding their relationship. The developer disagrees with claims about making “provably incorrect statements” and asserts they have been effectively distanced from the studio.
The studio emphasized feeling “ghosted” after Epic decided to pull support for Horses shortly before its planned release. This decision followed the game’s ban from both Steam and the Epic Games Store due to its unsettling themes, jeopardizing the studio’s future and financial viability.
Epic cited violations of content guidelines, including “inappropriate content” and “hateful or abusive content,” resulting in a last-minute ban just 24 hours before release. The email referenced these guidelines and indicated a rating of Adults Only (AO)—not supported on the platform.
Despite this setback, an Epic VP spoke positively about Santa Ragione, suggesting discrepancies in the developer’s responses compared to moderators’ observations. However, the studio countered these claims, asserting that Epic had not provided adequate support or transparency regarding the rating issues and lacked an AO rating certificate normally issued in such instances.
Despite these challenges, Santa Ragione has reportedly generated enough sales from Horses to settle debts incurred during its development.
Key Takeaways
- Santa Ragione’s discontent with Epic Games stems from a perceived lack of communication and support after the decision to withdraw distribution.
- The controversy surrounds the classification of Horses, impacting its availability on major platforms.
- Financial risks tied to the game’s performance highlight potential threats to operational stability.
- Despite difficulties, Santa Ragione successfully generated sufficient sales to cover initial development costs.