Hello,

We have some big changes to announce for how players will engage with VirtuaCreature, as well as updates to the game itself.

Monetization Model

We tried our best to present a Free-To-Play model that was both fair and engaging for our playerbase, first with a more typical mtx-based model, and later completely replacing it with a single, simple DLC to unlock all features. Despite our efforts, this simply didn’t pan out. Even now, long after the dust has settled, Legacy Version regularly outperforms this current version of the game in sales – a much older build of the game with less content, little to no tutorialization and a worse engine holding the core of the experience back. What this clearly signals to us is that you guys, the playerbase, would much rather pay once and be done with it than deal with any type of F2P system, simple or not.

Frankly, we agree! So, that has guided our decision to convert VirtuaCreature to a regular paid product like most others on Steam. There are a number of key changes accopanying this conversion:

• The Premium Upgrade will be delisted and will no longer be purchasable.
• Any in-game features that were locked or limited by the Premium Upgrade will now be fully available to all players. This includes all storage boxes for creatures, inventory slots, the standard XP rate etc.
• Cosmetic perks, aka the borders and profile icons, will now be mostly available to all players – more details on this below.

Players who have already added the game to their account while it was free will get to keep it and will be receiving the above changes as well.

If you have already purchased the Premium Upgrade, or purchase it before this transition, you will be privy to a few exclusive perks:

• 7 XP Boosts, lasting 24 Hours each, will be available to redeem at any time. These will refresh on starting a new game as well.
• The “Ukiyoe” border, which will not be available to regular players, will be unlocked.
• A new “Statue” profile icon, which will not be available to regular players, will be unlocked.

We hope these changes will create the best possible experience for our players going forward.

Game Update

A regular update will also be pushed alongside these changes, mainly consisting of backend changes we’ve been building up over the last few months. However, there are some noticeable new things as well:

• The game will now use 64bit builds instead of 32bit. This will not affect the vast majority of the playerbase, however if by some slim chance you are running a 32bit OS, your system will no longer be supported.
• Rich Presence for Steam! Your friends can now see exactly what you’re getting up to, or if there’s space to join your multiplayer match.
• A small collection of fixes, including some user-reported issues.

We’d be interested in doing more “auxiliary” updates like this in the future, though that all depends on how smoothly this transition goes. We’ll keep you posted!

Legacy Version merge

We will be delisting the “Legacy Version” of VirtuaCreature from sale. If you’re still interested in playing this older version of the game, we have merged it into the current release on Steam! Simply go to the beta tab in the game’s properties and select the “legacy” branch and the game will update accordingly.

Android EOL support

The Android version distributed via Google Play will not be receiving any updates, as the costs of maintaining that release outweigh the benefits. All Android players will still be able to connect to the game servers and play without any issues, and we intend to keep it that way for a long time – that version will simply not be getting any of the above changes or fixes for the time being.

Hello,

Thank you to all our players for supporting VirtuaCreature. We have some major changes coming soon, so we’d like to clearly outline them here in advance.

Business model overhaul

We are no longer interested in running a F2P economy, as it has not only been unsuccessful but feels increasingly cruel trying to design. As such, all microtransaction elements are being removed; this includes the Gold Synths that were directly purchasable, as well as all items from the Premium Shop.

In their place will be a single, permanent purchase called the Premium Upgrade. Here is what your purchase will unlock:

• A permanent 2x XP boost for all creatures
• All 6 Creature Boxes available
• 1024 slots for Chest, Equipment & Cooking storage
• 12 Cosmetic Borders
• 12 Profile Icons

While all purchasing options for individual items will no longer be available, some in-game methods of obtaining said items will persist. These include:

• Revives can be obtained through Daily Missions, events or playing multiplayer matches
• Temporary XP Boosts can be obtained through Daily Missions, events or playing multiplayer matches
• Profile Icons not unlocked by the Premium Upgrade can be obtained through events or playing multiplayer matches

Additionally, a few mechanics will either be altered or removed:

• The default amount of Creature Boxes available to all players will be 1 instead of 2
• Account Renaming will no longer be available
• Benefits from the Premium Upgrade will not have cross-platform compatibility like previous purchases; multi-platform players will need to purchase the upgrade on any platform they want the benefits for

Finally, it should be noted that previous purchases will not transfer over. Any purchased Gold Synths or items obtained with them will no longer be available after this update.

How to purchase the new Premium Upgrade

On Steam:

The Premium Upgrade will be available as a DLC on the game’s store page. Players can also be directed to said DLC landing page via relevant in-game buttons.

On Mobile:

Attempting to access a premium feature, such as selecting a locked Creature Box, will redirect users to a screen where the upgrade will be purchasable. Various buttons in relevant areas will also be available to direct the player to said purchase screen.

We hope these changes will lead to a better, more stable player experience going forward.

Account wipe

Due to both the huge overhaul of our monetization as well as various security & structural flaws with our current account system, we’ve decided to reset our servers and wipe all user accounts. Players who open the game after the next update will be prompted to create a new account, or back out of the process entirely and play with online features restricted. To be clear, the data for current accounts will not be maintained or held by us, and likewise will not be accessible to any players.

Please note that this will not effect your save data! Your in-game progress and creatures will not be altered after this update, only data directly related to your account, such as purchases, Player Level, quantity of Revives & XP Boosts, etc.

End of iOS platform support

Due to unpopularity among players, as well as the difficulty and expenses generated working with Apple, we’ve decided to end support for all iOS devices and will be removing the game from the App Store. This means the upcoming update will not be released to the App Store, however current iOS users can keep the current version installed on their device if they wish to play offline.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this information, please reach out to us or leave a comment in relevant spaces and we’d be happy to address it. This update & overhaul is planned to release in May, however if we find any critical issues we will resolve them before moving forward with a release.

VirtuaCreature has officially released!

You can download the game for FREE on the following platforms:

• Google Play Store
• Steam
• Apple App Store

VirtuaCreature is the ultimate monster RPG influenced by the creature-craze of the past. You’ll be responsible for all facets of your creature, and the effort you put in will reflect in how it grows. From baby to beast – it’s in your hands!