I just found this thread, and I see I'm late to the party when it comes to speculating about who sent the mystery texts at the end of V 0.3 and why. But I like to speculate and theorize, so I'll still post my thoughts on the topic.
I'll spoiler it, since I'm sure to be long-winded.
I have no idea who it might be, but I'm slightly worried since I usually don't like blackmail plots as they take your agency away in a very frustrating way for a longer period for a fetish that is not enjoyed by the majority. It can be done well though, as long as its not too prominent.
Blackmail doesn't take away your agency. You choose whether to submit to the blackmail, whether to ignore it, or whether to report it or otherwise try to fight it. And if it's an ongoing blackmail, you have repeated choices to submit or resist. That's not a loss of agency. It's the opposite. It's agency in action.
Also, I'm curious why you say that blackmail as a sexual fetish is not enjoyed by the majority. Do you have some data to support that? I haven't seen any studies which state how popular or unpopular the fetish is. Absent any reliable data, this would be an assumption on your part.
I feel ya. I hope they're not gonna make too much noise out of it; I'd prefer it if that particular arc is kept as short as possible, and focus more on how it affects Ashe's mental state rather than drag out the blackmail forever.
Whether it's blackmail or harassment, I think there's a good chance that this will become one of the major story arcs in the game. And I, for one, am fine with that, so long as it's written well. And I'm prepared to give the developer the benefit of the doubt on that, because I've so far found the story to be well written.
According to the developer, in the next episode the choice will have much more impact.
If it does turn out that the anonymous texts are part of a blackmail attempt, whether or not to submit to that blackmail would be a good example of an impactful choice. It could mark a very distinct branching in the storyline between a "submit to the blackmail" path and a "reject the blackmail" path.
Personally, I would like to see an optional path in which Ashe can be sexually blackmailed. I would certainly play both paths. But I have no idea how likely that is. I don't know this developer at all, and have no idea of their feelings/opinions on non-consensual content.
My own position on non-consensual content is, "Bring it on. Just do a good job of it."