No Rest for the Wicked is a visually stunning soulslike action RPG that has garnered much praise from players. Recently, its founder Thomas Mahler expressed concern over a wave of negative reviews stemming from an unpopular balance update. He warned that review bombing could threaten the studio’s survival, stating, “It’s entirely possible that we won’t be around in a couple of months to do anything anymore simply because we got review bombed.”

These comments made waves across gaming news outlets and were seen by many as an alarming reflection of the studio’s financial stability. However, Mahler later took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify his remarks, asserting there was no immediate financial threat. He mentioned: “If we don’t sell more copies because people review bomb us, you might just cause our death.”

In response to the backlash, Mahler claimed his intention was to highlight the severity of review manipulation while asking players to share genuine feedback. He criticized the act of leaving negative reviews without valid context and the culture of online toxicity that often sidelines constructive criticism, even mentioning how the industry has become hostile towards developers who don’t align with specific political narratives. His remarks have sparked conversations regarding developer accountability and the challenges of maintaining a healthy critique culture in the gaming community.