Among Us dev update explains why things are "taking so long"
"Among Us gained incredible traction pretty late into 2020 that we weren’t expecting"
Among Us became a surprise smash hit in 2020. The hidden-role murder 'em up was originally released in 2018, and managed to burst its way to fame late last year thanks in large part to lots of Twitch streamers. Alas, this success brought with it a fair few challenges for the developers at Innersloth. Yesterday, they released a dev blog explaining why development and updates have been taking so long, and telling fans a bit about what's been going on behind the scenes.
"Among Us gained incredible traction pretty late into 2020 that we weren’t expecting, and that meant A LOT of change for us," the devs say. "Not only did we need to switch back to working on Among Us after thinking it was done, but we also needed to set ourselves up more sustainably to work on the game. We had to spend 2 months just restructuring, figuring out new processes, and getting external partners to help us manage on board."
The dev team was originally just three people, though they've added a fourth this year. They add that they've heard the suggestions of hiring more folks to help, but rushing to get new people in can often be damaging than it is helpful.
All this organisational stuff has meant they've needed to spend time away from the game, but ultimately it all means development will be a little easier in the future.
"Thank you SO much for the patience as you wait for the next big update!" Innersloth add. "We want to do more for you to show you how grateful we are, but without sacrificing on the quality and values we had before this blew up."
To that end, they'll be revealing a 2021 roadmap for Among Us soon so folks can get a better idea of what's to come. They also give a small reminder that the game's new Airship map will arrive early this year. An account system is on the way too, the first update for which will be focussed on moderation so you can report people in-game should the need arise.