The Legend of Zelda-like action adventure game Ittle Dew 2 has been delisted across digital storefronts on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch without any warning. This comes after the game’s developer Ludosity canceled the publisher Nicalis’ license to publish earlier this year. Ideally, Nicalis would have transferred the game back to Ludosity for self-publishing, but it has apparently failed to respond to any emails.
A tweet from Ludosity’s CEO Joel Nystrom goes into detail about the game’s delisting.
Well after the usual ghosting for a few weeks I today wake up to find that they just couldn’t be bothered, and just delisted Ittle Dew 2 from all console store fronts.
— reallyjoel (@reallyjoel) September 20, 2019
As it stands, Ittle Dew 2 is now only available on Steam, since Ludosity self-published it on PCs, or in physical format for the Nintendo Switch, which is the only platform to see a retail release. Nystrom explained that he’s working on resolving the issue and said, “Now I’m gonna see if I can get them de-delisted or if I have to re-publish.”
But that’s not the only issue involving Nicalis lately. The publisher’s president Tyrone Rodriguez has been accused of unprofessional conduct, with former employees siting incidents of apparent racism, exploitative behavior, ableist remarks, Antisemitism, and failure to respond to correspondence between partners.
Nicalis is best known for its work publishing The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+, 1001 Spikes, Cave Story+, and VVVVVV. Although, now that these allegations have become public, it’s unclear how the company will be impacted.
We’ll keep you updated on the availability of Ittle Dew 2 and all things Nicalis as more information makes its rounds. For now, you’ll have to buy the game on Steam or get a physical copy for the Nintendo Switch.
What do you think of the game’s delisting across consoles? Let us know your thoughts.
[Source: Twitter via SiliconEra]