I think one should distinguish three cases here.
1. Pictures that a developer makes to advertise his game and, when the periods between updates for a game become longer, to keep the interest in the game and its story alive. Because if it is discussed in the forums it is a good advertisement.
These images, as promotional material, should always be provided free of charge and it is in the financial interest of the developer that they are distributed as widely as possible.
2. Images/performances he owes to his supporters in the higher levels of support. On his Patreon page he advertises that these supporters get additional material and information. If one or more supporters of these levels then decide to share this additional material for free, then that is their decision. The developer has paid his "debt" and is out of further distribution. If a high level supporter then gets angry that others get what he paid for, then it is the stupidest thing a developer can do to get involved in such a war. He has made his contribution in the form of additional material, and should always point out that it was not him who decided to share this material for free, but another high-level supporter.
3. Images/performances that a developer makes in addition and wants to sell. Here he has the right to take measures to prevent (or at least try to prevent) a free further distribution to his financial disadvantage.
The mistake of L&P is that he makes no distinction between these three cases and sees everything as an attack against himself and his financial interests. And that he wages wars that he did not cause and by misjudging the causes further damages his reputation.
