Unforetold: Witchstone News

Dear community,

As mentioned in our previous announcement, Steam will now approve refund requests from those that purchased the game before the price adjustment to $9.99. In order to do so, please use the following steps:

1. Log in to Steam Support and select "View Complete Purchase History."
   
2. Click on the game in your purchase history and select "I have a question about this purchase."
   

All the best,
Spearhead Games

Dear community,

For any among you that are not yet aware, we have suspended the production of Unforetold: Witchstone indefinitely. The combination of poor sales and a primary funding source falling through for us at a critical time meant that we could no longer support our amazing team. As a result, we were forced to let most of our people go and halt production, leaving Unforetold: Witchstone in an unfinished state. This was an incredibly difficult time for all of us, and we understand the disappointment that you, our players, felt.

As mentioned in our previous statement, we have been speaking with Steam since before this news became public about possible solutions for those that already purchased the game. We thank you all for your patience, and are happy to say that, after concluding our talks with Steam, they have agreed to offer the following:

1. If you purchased the game before the price drop to $9.99 USD, Steam should now approve your refund request. In order to submit a request, please log in to Steam support and select "View complete purchase history," then select Unforetold: Witchstone and choose "I have a a question about this purchase."
   
2. If you purchased the game after the price drop, Steam's normal refund policies will still apply.
   

We also stated that we were keeping the game on Steam due to legal obligations, even though it was not our preference. Since then, we have reached an agreement with previous financial partners regarding the continued presence of the game on Steam. As such, as of March 27th, 2024, the game will be delisted from Steam. This means that:

1. The game will no longer be available for purchase on the Steam marketplace.
   
2. Those of you that own the game and choose not to refund it will continue to have access to it in your Steam library.
   

Thank you again to everyone for your patience as we sought solutions for this matter. Your support has meant the world to us, and this decision was not one made lightly. We ask that you please do not hesitate to request a refund if it is right for you. More than anything, we value the feedback you provided as we worked together on content and fixes for Unforetold: Witchstone; feedback that we will continue to carry with us to all future endeavors.

All the best,
Spearhead Games

As we say goodbye for now, we leave you with some quality of life improvements and a new playable archetype specialization.

• (Much requested) Displaying proficiencies and gear preferences in the companions’ character sheet.
  
• (Much requested) Sending an item to a companion can be done with a contextual action in the inventory window.
  
• Adding the Diplomat specialization for Rogues.
  
• Adding the Endurer as a non-playable ancestry.
  
• Replacing the Roadmap with credits.
  
• Removing ownership for most loot in Luckhaven. Robbing from robbers will not be considered a crime.
  
• Updating the majority of item descriptions.
  
• Adding dialogue options for high-ranking faction members to learn more about them.
  
• Adding more variants to Milestone narrator texts.
  
• Removing the +2 dice roll bonus on Influence for having succeeded Insight on an NPC.
  
• Changing Priest Loxy’s and Jorrit’s archetypes.
  
• Updating Constance’s daily routine so that she’s in the Howling Valley Shrine during the morning.
  
• Adding custom banter lines when key NPCs talk to each other.
  

• (Much requested) Fixed companions blocking the player during movement.
  
• (Much requested) Fixed faction negotiation town events.
  
• (Much requested) Fixed companions no longer equipping weapons after removing their weapon.
  
• Fixed sold items getting flagged as stolen.
  
• Fixed civilian NPC ending combat after one turn when attacking them after a failed pickpocket attempt.
  
• Fixed issue where travel event combat would not start.
  
• Fixed guards not reacting to a fight when investigating the source of a sound.
  
• Fixed issue where the player was stuck in loop when canceling out of a climb dice roll.
  
• Fixed appreciation not being awarded after fulfilling an NPC’s Make Appreciation and Talk To Wants.
  
• Fixed the wrong opportunity dialogue being displayed when Marcel’s and Nimo’s opportunities were active at the same time.
  
• Fixed issue where an invalid Goal name was displayed in the notifications.
  
• Fixed Aems using the wrong dialogue tree if the player initiated the dialogue.
  
• Fixed player’s name not displaying correctly in their inventory
  
• Fixed numerous abilities and special items that did not work.
  

Dear community,

The discontinuation of Unforetold: Witchstone and the subsequent team layoffs has deeply affected us all at Spearhead Games. We want you to know that this decision was not made lightly. Facing significant financial shortfalls, we were compelled to make this heartbreaking choice due to insufficient funds to sustain the project and support our valued employees.

We understand the frustration and disappointment this news may bring. Please know it was always our intention to create and support a game that you, our passionate community, would love and enjoy. The perception that funds were taken without delivering on our promises could not be further from the truth.

To provide further context, Unforetold: Witchstone has a long history. What began as a prototype made by a lean team of 10, grew over the past six years to encompass a development team of nearly 40. This was only made possible by an investment from a large third-party publisher, which also led us to increase the scope and ambition of the game. However, a few months ago, that publisher made significant cuts internally, including dropping us and several other projects.

Following that terrible news, but believing in our amazing team and what we were building together, we made the decision to use the studio’s savings to continue developing the game together with the entire team. We were optimistic that securing another interested publisher was a viable path forward, or barring that, we could take the game into Early Access if the search dragged on.

However, as many of you have noticed over the past year, the industry has changed greatly, with many layoffs and cancelled projects at some of the world’s largest studios. It quickly became a time where pursuing funding became a massive uphill battle. Still, we remained optimistic that we could garner some interest if we launched into Early Access, and that the sales would support our team while we continued to look for interested partners.

Despite our initial positive expectations for the game's sales, we sadly did not meet these objectives. This financial reality forced us into making a decision we had hoped to avoid. While we tried, and are still actively trying, to secure funds to complete the game, the current climate of the game industry makes that prospect unrealistic at this moment.

We acknowledge that our previous communication could have been more comprehensive, particularly regarding the Steam platform specifics (price adjustments, refunds, etc.), which was an oversight for which we take full responsibility. We are learning from this experience and acknowledge the need to improve how we communicate significant changes. Your trust is paramount to us, and we are dedicated to rebuilding it moving forward.

To address the concerns raised, we have provided below the current details regarding Steam pricing and refund policies for Unforetold: Witchstone. Our commitment to transparency remains steadfast, and we are in ongoing discussions with Steam to clarify and expand upon these measures as necessary. As new information emerges, we will promptly update this section to keep you fully informed and supported.


[h2]Is the game staying in Early Access?[/h2]
Unforetold: Witchstone will remain on Steam and in Early Access. We have updated the Steam store page to notify potential players that the game is no longer supported, and if they purchase now, the game is not likely to change. While removing the game from Steam completely or offering it for free was considered, we have legal obligations to investors to maintain the sale of the game.

[h2]Is the pricing going to change?[/h2]
To reflect the fact that the development of the game is on hold indefinitely, we are reducing the price to $9.99 USD.

We feel that this price will allow more people to enjoy what has been created so far, and that the game may still serve to inspire other developers while leaving the door open to investors to complete the game.

[h2]I’ve played more than two hours, can I still get a refund?[/h2]
Steam’s policy is that refunds are not offered past the standard 2 hour playtime window, even in the case of Early Access titles. We are currently in talks with them to make a special case for those that wish to refund past this point, but we cannot promise this will materialize. This decision is not up to us, but to Steam. We will keep you posted as soon as we have clarification on what is possible.


Thank you for your support and understanding as we navigate these challenging times together. We are committed to keeping you informed and look forward to sharing updates with you as soon as they become available.

- Spearhead Games

In light of our recent announcement, we've noted significant concerns regarding the Steam price tag, refunds, etc., and we want to acknowledge that our initial communication could have been more transparent. This oversight is something we fully take responsibility for.

To address the concerns raised, our team is actively in communication with Steam to gather all necessary information regarding pricing and refund policies. We are still awaiting some details, but rest assured, as soon as we have comprehensive information and receive approval to communicate it, we will promptly share everything with all of you.

Thank you for your understanding as we work through these challenges together.