Nintendo Switch exclusive Sports Story scrubs game development criticism hidden in secret room
"Things are very much under control here."
Nintendo Switch indie exclusive Sports Story has been updated to remove its criticism of game development, which was hidden away within an in-game secret room.
A sequel to the beloved Golf Story, Sports Story itself featured a rocky development, and was originally due to release in 2020. It eventually arrived right at the end of last year, albeit to a lukewarm reception and launch day bugs.
The subsequent discovery by fans of an in-game room - ostensibly a game development office filled with unhappy workers - raised eyebrows at the time. Exploring the room uncovers particularly pointed barbs between co-workers relating to project delivery time, writing feedback and bug-testing.
Now, a freshly-released patch claims to have blocked access to the area - but enterprising fans have still found a way in. Inside, players have found that its dialogue has been altered, and the criticisms are no longer present.
"You might say we're experiencing a troubled development," dialogue previously featured in the secret room stated. "You might also say somebody kept requesting new features and my original vision no longer exists."
Visit the room post-patch, and it's a different story.
"Not only are we ahead of schedule on development, we are also setting records in employee happiness," dialogue now states. "Our staff are all well-rested, well-fed, and their self-esteem is skyrocketing. I an assure you, things are very much under control here! I promise."
Sports Story developer Sidebar Games has acknowledged the secret room's existence in its latest patch notes, which claim access to the area has been removed. The developer is still to address its content directly, however, and Eurogamer has contacted Sidebar Games for comment.