The Nintendo Switch indie exclusive Sports Story has been updated to remove its criticism of the game’s development, which was hidden within a secret room within the game.
A sequel to the beloved golf saga, Sports Story itself features a rocky twist, and was originally slated for release in 2020. It finally arrived at the end of last yearalbeit to a lukewarm reception and the release of Bugs Today.
The subsequent discovery by fans of an in-game room – ostensibly a game development office filled with dissatisfied workers – raised eyebrows at the time. Exploring the room reveals sharp criticism among co-workers regarding project delivery time, writing comments and bug testing.
Now, a newly released patch claims to have blocked access to the area – but adventurous fans have still found a way to enter. Inside, players found that his dialogue had been altered, and the criticisms were no longer present.
“You might say that we are witnessing a turbulent development,” says the dialogue previously shown in the secret room. “You might also say that someone kept asking for new features and my original vision no longer exists.”
Visit the room after the patch, it’s a different story.
“Not only are we ahead of schedule for development, we’re also setting records in employee happiness,” the dialogue now says. “Our staff are all well rested and well fed and their self esteem is on the rise. I assure you things are pretty much under control here! I promise.”
Sports Story developer Sidebar Games has acknowledged the secret room’s existence in recent patch notes, which claim that access to the area has been removed. However, the developer still handles its content directly, and Eurogamer has contacted Sidebar Games for comment.
“Freelance web ninja. Wannabe communicator. Amateur tv aficionado. Twitter practitioner. Extreme music evangelist. Internet fanatic.”