Among us became a surprise hit in 2020. The murder on their hidden roles was originally released in 2018 and managed to break into fame late last year, thanks to many Twitch streamers. Unfortunately, this success has brought quite a few challenges for the developers at Innersloth. Yesterday, they developed a blog that explained why development and updates take so long, and told fans a bit about what’s going on behind the scenes.
“Among us, we achieved incredible traction until late in 2020, which we did not expect, and it meant a LOT of change for us,” say the developers. ‘Not only did we have to switch to working with Among Us after thinking it was done, but we also had to focus more sustainably on working on the game. We had to spend two months just restructuring, inventing new processes and finding external partners to help us manage on board. ”
The development team was originally just three people, though they added a fourth this year. They add that they have heard suggestions to hire more people to help, but it can often be detrimental to catch up with new people.
All of these organizational things meant that they had to spend time away from the game, but ultimately it means that development will be a little easier in the future.
“Thank you so much for your patience while you wait for the next big update!” Innersloth adds. “We want to do more for you to show you how grateful we are, but without sacrificing the quality and values we had before it blew up.”
To that end, they will soon be announcing a 2021 roadmap for Among Us so people can get a better idea of what’s coming. They also give a little reminder that the game’s new airship map will arrive early this year. There’s also an account system on the way, the first update of which will focus on moderation, so you can report people in the game should the need arise.