A lovely-looking action roguelike in the vein of Hades called Realm of Ink has just disappeared from Steam, and even the developers themselves aren't sure why.
“We wanted to inform you that Realm of Ink has been removed from the Steam store,” says developer Leap Studio in a blog post. “Unfortunately, we currently do not know the specific reason for this action, but we are doing everything we can to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We understand that this may cause confusion and concern, and we sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. Please rest assured. assurance that we are doing everything we can to get the game back online. We would also like to assure you that development of Realm of Ink will continue as planned.”
Realm of Ink – Official Early Access Launch Trailer – YouTube
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Realm of Ink had been in Steam Early Access since September 26, and while the 1.0 release was initially scheduled for January 2025 (that's this month, folks), it was recently pushed back to March “to deliver a game worthy of its confidence and enthusiasm.” as Leap Studio put it.
There's no immediately obvious reason why Valve might have removed Realm of Ink, but it appears that Leap Studio's entire developer page has been removed as well. As of this December archive of the Steam page, it had 92% positive reviews and, with its beautiful art and proven action mechanics, it's easy to see why. “Hades with Okami Images” is not a pitch where you have to try too hard to sell me. We hope the situation is resolved, and soon, because it would be a shame for such a compelling game to be lost in a strange Steam exclusion.
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