Red Thread Games, the developer behind Dustborn, continues to spiral into deeper controversy as more information about their game’s creation comes to light. Initially, the game piqued mild interest due to its unique narrative premise - and one of those 'just how bad is it" kinda games... But recent revelations have revealed a much lazier, almost comically disastrous side to its development.
At first, many suspected that some of the game’s assets might have been stolen outright. This speculation arose after @HeySlickThatsMe noticed that the layout of a particular apartment in Dustborn seemed eerily... familiar.
Combined with some aggressive tweets from one of the developers, Thea Bergh - AKA @ShitSpout on Twitter, people were quick to jump to conclusions about the potential theft of these assets.
However, the truth, as it turns out, is perhaps even more embarrassing...
Copied Assets: The Truth Comes Out
While the assets weren't technically "stolen," it's been discovered that the apartment layout in question was purchased from an artist known as @oreordaz. But here’s the kicker: @oreordaz openly admitted that their design was "just using GTA V as a reference."
In other words, the apartment layout in Dustborn wasn’t an original creation or even a unique asset — it was a secondhand copy, borrowing directly from the iconic game Grand Theft Auto V.
While utilizing third-party assets isn't uncommon in game development, especially for indie studios on tight budgets, what makes this situation so INSANE is how Red Thread Games attempted to cover their tracks, and how they cut corners while taking goverment funding and tax dollars to fuel the game that they clearly were in over their head on.
Thea Bergh’s tweets suggested embarrassment, and perhaps rightly so; this revelation not only highlighted how the studio cut corners during development - but also - pointed to a fundamental lack of experience and competence in handling the project’s demands.
An Even Greater Embarrassment: Assets Older than 9/11
As if the “GTA V copy-paste job” wasn’t bad enough, another discovery emerged (thx @PathOfRadiance2) that seemingly defies ALL logic. There's something odd in the game’s background: the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are... still standing. This has to make you wonder if the game’s developers had purchased and used assets so old... that they predate the tragic events of 9/11!?
Think about that for a moment: a game releasing in the modern era, using assets from a time before one of the most defining moments in recent history. The laziness and lack of diligence on display here are beyond embarrassing. Red Thread Games didn't even bother to ensure that the assets they purchased were up-to-date, let alone relevant or of sufficient quality for a modern game! ***UPDATE***
Vara Dark has informed us that the game takes place on a supposed "alternate timeline" where the events of 9/11 may not have transpired. While based off everything else leading up to this I still feel like this was what most likely appears to be a gigantic oversight by the developers (seeing as its a tiny detail only visible at one point in the game far off in the distance), we need to - in this case - give the benefit of the doubt that it was done intentionally, unless more proof comes to light.
Thank you Vara (@Vara_Dark on X), for the heads up!
It's important to hold these developers accountable for their actions, but as always, it far more important to get the story right.
Damage Control and Deflecting Blame
With this info coming to light, Red Thread Games and their publisher Quantic Dream are now scrambling (and failing, as with everything else they do) to control the narrative. Rather than owning up to their mistakes or even attempting to offer an explanation for their choices, they’ve shifted into full damage control mode... with... their strategy of deflecting the blame onto the gaming community itself, accusing critics of creating controversy or being unfair in their judgment. It's a bold strategy, Cotton. Has to make you wonder why they don't just own it and take the L...
Instead of taking accountability for what has increasingly come to look like a money-grabbing scheme, the developers seem more focused on defending their decisions with paper-thin excuses. This is particularly troubling considering that the project was reportedly funded using real tax dollars, turning what was supposed to be a legitimate game development effort into what some have termed the anti-government "Antifa simulator."
A Financial and Creative Disaster
At its core, this entire debacle reflects a much deeper problem: the misuse of public funds for a project built on laziness, shortcuts, and an astonishing lack of creativity or accountability. Red Thread Games’ lack of transparency, their reliance on outdated assets, and their attempts to pass off a poorly cobbled-together project as something more substantial have resulted in what might be the laziest AA “asset flip” in recent memory.
The damage to their reputation may be irreparable, and the backlash from the gaming community is unlikely to subside based on the company reactions. If there’s one takeaway from this entire situation, it’s that cutting corners in game development rarely pays off in the end. Instead of delivering a game that could have been a unique contribution to the indie scene, Dustborn has become a story of what NOT to do.
~Smash
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