This is why games would be best off when they say they want ntr but it will be avoidable, to have two separate routes and neither cross paths. You only upset people then who don't want to see it and were under the assumption they would not. I have not played this and I just read the last few pages of comments. Looks like some people are now in shock when they assumed if they did not like it they would not cross it with correct options or choices.
But people need to realise too Devs are not your friends or your pal, sometimes when they start a project they will say a lot of things to get traction etc and after they are established and have a large following and feel financially secure, they may start to add the things they want.
Why would devs do this ? they may feel their consumer base is in too deep to give up now, like a game or story you have put a lot of time into, then the player starts to compromise and go well I have come this far and I can't just walk away now, I don't like this but I want to see where the story goes etc. If devs can have things show up on both paths it cuts costs and having to make two separate routes so it benefits the Dev.
So sometimes what you are promised from the outset sometimes will not be delivered upon and it is an interesting topic that could be debated alone, due to a dev withholding their like for certain things and waiting for the right time to add it when they feel secure enough. But all that is for another time.
Maybe it won't escalate and it is to test the waters of the player base reaction to it and monitor. But I guess only time will tell.
To me the actual "problem" here is this whole patreon thing. The supporters are supposed to be sponsoring content creators so they can work on the content they want to. Supporters aren't directly purchasing anything, they are just showing support to the creators they like. What if they don't like the creators' work anymore? They stop subscribing and that's all.
Yet some of the "supporters" do not understand this. They think they are buying something, they think the are customers, they think their opinions must be listened to, they think their requests must be fulfilled. Why? coz they paid for it. They paid for the product and they derserved to get it.
Lets say you were supporting an artist of great talent he was making this enormous beautiful sculpture. He described what he would make and show different drafts and plans to his supporters monthly. The process was so long and he kept getting new sparks, inspirations etc so the he ended up changing the direction and created something different from what he first believed it would be. You didn't like the new direction of the sculpture and stopped supporting him.
This is how it works, you don't actually have the right to change the artist's mind because you have been supporting him. Just because he is doing something now DOES NOT mean he will keep doing it forever. You are not gauranteed anything. You are not "promised" anything. You are not purchasing or pre-purchasing anything. You are not getting refund from anything either.
You subscribe because hes creating something you like, you can always stop when he stops.
This is how patreon works. Not saying its fair, right or wrong, but people really need to understand what they are spending their money on.