Revenant Hill production is no more...

Today, I learned that Revenant Hill, the spiritual successor to Night in the Woods, has been effectively canceled. This decision stems from severe health conditions affecting Scott Benson, co-founder of The Glory Society, as well as another key member of the team, severely limiting their ability to continue work on the game. Benson revealed he has been dealing with severe heart failure, likely related to a virus, for the past 12 months.

Like many fans of Night in the Woods, I was anxiously awaiting to see what the minds behind Bea, Gregg, Angus, Germ and of course, Mae, would come up with. It's disheartening that we won't get to explore the new world they had envisioned. However, my thoughts right now are not centered on Revenant Hill and what could have been, but rather on what The Glory Society team must be going through.

Benson also put out this tweet (or X, is it?) on his personal account to share with us the gravity of his situation1:

“So. Over the past 12 months or so I got very sick and it didn't go away. Eventually I was diagnosed with severe heart failure, most likely from a virus. It will continue to greatly limit me for the foreseeable future and as such I've had to stop working in the manner I once did.

And hey also shout out to my wife/creative partner for being a complete hero through all of this. Seriously I'm likely only alive right now because of her. Bethany is the best.

Past few months are a blur of hospitals, doctors, tests, procedures, exciting new medications, and so, so much blood drawn. I’m sad about all of this. But on my end getting too upset about it is like getting angry at bad weather. This just happened. Life thankfully goes on.

I’ll be taking some time to get to a better spot health wise before figuring out what’s next. Thanks for being interested in the stuff we make over here. Stay tuned for future things. I mean what else is there to stay tuned for. It’s always the future. Thanks, folks.”

As gamers, it's so easy to get hyper-focused on what we want: a fully finished game, on time, with at least 20 hours of content, regular updates, and free DLCs for the next 5-10 years. However, many gamers forget that there are actual people behind these games—people with lives, families, and other responsibilities outside of game development. They may be struggling through circumstances that we can only imagine.

The term 'crunch' in game development refers to when game developers are forced to work excessive hours for days, weeks, or even months on end to meet deadlines. According to a 2018 Game Developer article2, when making Night in the Woods, Benson worked 16-hour days to the point where it severely impacted his health. His doctor informed him that if he does this again, he might not recover. So, this is a road that he has been down before and has learned that, even if it means sacrificing his passion, his health comes first.

I applaud Benson and the rest of the team for being willing to make this decision because health should not be taken for granted. There are times in our lives when we have to make the tough call to take care of ourselves first. You only get one you, after all. I know it couldn’t have been easy for them, as they are not only giving up on a dream that was already in the works but also worrying about finding work for the remaining team members as well as possibly disappointing the fans. Life has truly thrown them a curveball, but that's what life does at times. We can't always predict, but we can always persist.

“I’m sad about all of this. But on my end getting too upset about it is like getting angry at bad weather.”

It has been heartwarming to see Benson working to promote his team members to help them find their way to new employment after this. It's also heartwarming to see the gaming community, especially the players, rallying around them in support during this tough time. And who knows, maybe at some point in the future, things may change. But even if not, we have had an amazing adventure in Possum Springs... we will survive!