Rune II was reworked after Bethesda sabotage, but players were still unhappy
Ragnarok Game and Studio 369 have released a reworked version of the action RPG Rune II, which, according to the project publisher, was deliberately sabotaged by Bethesda Softworks and ZeniMax Media. However, this release also received a flurry of criticism from the players.
As a reminder, the original Rune II development team was acquired by Bethesda Softworks just as the game was released last year. As stated by Ragnarok Game, the new owner refused to transfer the materials of the project and deliberately sabotaged work on it, as it allegedly poses a threat to The Elder Scrolls franchise.
After the unsuccessful release of Rune II, Ragnarok Game put the development of the game in the hands of Studio 369 and announced Rune II: Decapitation Edition. “This is the Rune 2 edition, revived by the Studio 369 team after a sabotage attempt to its maximum size, and has been completely redesigned by a dedicated team of experienced game developers,” reads the press release.
Studio 369 President Matt Candler said Rune II: Decapitation Edition has improved every aspect of the game: visuals, gameplay, storytelling, online multiplayer, and more. But it seems that these efforts were not enough. The game currently has mixed reviews on Steam with only 46% positive. Users complain about lagging graphics, poor optimization, localization issues, and a large number of bugs.
“I bought the game after the publishers told about its complete rework and improvement. If that’s true, I can’t even imagine what the original game was! ” – posted by user Jigadloff.
Rune II: Decapitation Edition is sold on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
