I understand your point, but the damage is already done. I can also see why the developer wanted to start fresh by distancing himself from a heavily tarnished image.
That said, even if it’s not so common, developers facing difficulties, whether personal or related to their games, sometimes delete all their accounts suddenly and without warning. It’s unrealistic to apply a single rule to everyone since behaviors, values, and mindsets differ widely.
Unlike you, I doubt his reputation would have survived if he had kept his accounts open, even after publicly apologizing and trying to make amends. I’ve seen several devs hang on, only to give up, rush their game’s ending, or walk away. People don’t forget easily, and forgiveness is rare.
Some time ago, I was in contact with a developer overwhelmed by harsh and constant criticism, some of it very toxic and bordering on harassment. In the end, he rushed his game’s conclusion, deleted all his accounts, and left the adult game scene entirely. The mental pressure was too much despite his efforts to hold on. His case shows that your view isn’t absolute.
Rebuilding a seriously damaged reputation and regaining public trust is very difficult. Some devs fail because a significant part of their audience, full of resentment, simply won’t forgive. A lot of new devs avoid engaging on F95 because of its bad reputation, something often brought up on their Discord servers.
We have already discussed the dev’s mistakes at length; he could have handled things more thoughtfully. But what’s done is done. The situation is now a dead end, and I doubt he could have fixed things after all these bad decisions and their consequences.
It’s unfortunate, a waste of talent, ideas, and potential, but that’s how things are now.
