as devs from other games have pointed out, piracy can account for a loss of about 20-30% of income. in other cases, it's a loss of about $1000 when an update is released and pirated immediately. devs prioritizing paying customers will always be a better value proposition.
That's a myth. Someone who plays a pirated game wasn't likely to buy it in the first place, either because of financial difficulties or not being convinced about the game being worth the price. On the other hand, I've seen lots of people liking a game enough after playing that they end up buying it.
The main issue here, and why so many people are complaining, is that forum like this one are one of the main ways porn indie devs are able to make themselves known and gain supporters. Otherwise, where are you gonna advertise? Instagram? And pretending like a good part (if not most) of their subs came from here is disingenuous at best. Suddenly putting up anti piracy protection and eliminating any legit way for people to alpha or beta test (because that's what we are, in the end) their game without paying is not the correct move. They're keeping their own game from being spread and talked about, gaining even more subs.
Now, I'm not saying devs don't have the right to do stuff like this. They absolutely do. What I'm saying is, they can't do shit like this without expecting any backlash, and the people blindly defending it are just as clueless.
In the end, this isn't about right or wrong. It's about how, in the year of our lord Gaben 2025, devs still don't get how game piracy works.