Are there not people donating via Patreon? Is it unreasonable to think that those paying fans (and fans in general) should expect better from a dev who's been doing this for several years at this point?
That's on them. They aren't paying anything for the game. If they don't think that the dev is doing what they want - they can stop. No one is keeping them hostage in subscriptions.
And yes, there are many subscribers - however, their tier benefits are explicitly laid out in Patreon and they are fully aware their subscription is not necessary to download the game. In fact, in the about page, it is specifically stated the game is free.
This is not unlike someone dropping a tip into a busker's hat on a street corner.
If you like what you see/hear - drop a dollar or two ($2 per month is about the average for this developer per subscriber, btw - about the price of a 20 ounce bottle of soda at a convenience store).
If you don't, enjoy your day. Either way, what you get is free.
If enough people decide they no longer want to subscribe/tip/donate (whatever word you want to use) - the developer will fold up shop and move along. Just like a busker on a corner - they'll go off to do something else somewhere else and people will have to find a new source of free entertainment.
(EDIT: Now, if this was a developer that paywalled their content, this would be a different discussion, honestly)
