The starchy chaos of Brotato just got a significant upgrade in oversight. Evil Empire, the veteran studio renowned for their exceptional long-term support of Dead Cells and development of The Rogue Prince of Persia, announced on September 28, 2025, that they’re taking over post-launch development duties for the multi-million-selling roguelike. This transition allows original developer Blobfish Games to focus on creating entirely new projects while ensuring Brotato continues evolving under proven hands that understand the delicate art of live-service roguelike development.
The announcement comes with immediate proof of Evil Empire’s commitment: a new enemy called “The Gobbler” that steals materials from players while growing increasingly valuable as a target. This mechanic demonstrates the studio’s understanding of Brotato’s core risk-reward gameplay loop while introducing fresh tactical considerations that could significantly impact optimal strategies.
Evil Empire: Masters of Roguelike Longevity
Evil Empire’s selection as Brotato’s new steward makes perfect sense given their exceptional track record. Founded by former Motion Twin developers specifically to handle long-term support of beloved games, they transformed Dead Cells from a strong roguelike into a genre-defining masterpiece through years of thoughtful updates, culminating in the acclaimed “Return to Castlevania” DLC that served as their final contribution to that project.
“I’m excited to see how the game evolves under the direction of such a talented team and what fresh perspectives they’ll bring to the table,” said Blobfish CEO Thomas Gervraud. “Above all, though, I’m just eager to dive back in and have fun playing Brotato again.” This statement suggests Gervraud views Evil Empire not just as capable maintainers, but as developers who could genuinely surprise him with their creative additions.
The studio’s philosophy toward live-service development emphasizes working closely with player communities to merge player suggestions with developer vision through regular content updates and beta testing. This approach perfectly aligns with Brotato’s established community-driven improvement cycle.
The Gobbler: A Taste of Things to Come
The Gobbler represents Evil Empire’s first original addition to Brotato’s ecosystem, introducing a dynamic threat that fundamentally alters resource management strategies. This enemy actively consumes materials from the battlefield while growing in size and reward potential, creating compelling risk-reward scenarios where players must decide whether to eliminate the threat quickly or allow it to grow for greater payoffs.
The mechanic adds layers of strategic depth that complement Brotato’s existing systems without disrupting core gameplay flow. Players must now balance immediate material collection against potential future gains, while the growing Gobbler becomes an increasingly tempting target that could dramatically impact run success.
Along with The Gobbler enemy, players receive “The Gobbler’s Hat” item and associated unlock challenge, demonstrating Evil Empire’s understanding that meaningful additions require complete integration with progression systems rather than superficial content additions.
A Philosophy of Thoughtful Expansion
Evil Empire’s approach to Brotato development emphasizes careful consideration over rapid content inflation. “We’ll be aware that too much content can bloat a roguelike, so don’t worry, we’ll be considering each addition carefully,” the studio explained. This philosophy reflects hard-learned lessons from the roguelike genre, where excessive content can dilute core gameplay loops and overwhelm player decision-making.
The studio promises “more content for the game, more often” while maintaining quality standards that preserve Brotato’s essential character. Their planned additions include regular updates with beta testing phases, quality-of-life improvements, bug fixes, and potentially full DLC expansions that could introduce entirely new gameplay dimensions.
“We live and breathe roguelikes, and we’ve got over 6 years of ‘live ops’ experience that we can put to good use here,” Evil Empire stated. “We also just genuinely love this game — there’s a few of us whose ‘hours played’ stats are way too high.” This personal investment suggests development driven by genuine passion rather than contractual obligation.
Immediate Technical Improvements
Evil Empire’s first update includes crucial technical improvements alongside The Gobbler content. Challenge duplication bugs affecting the retry-wave feature have been resolved, while translation issues across multiple languages received attention. These fixes demonstrate the studio’s commitment to maintaining Brotato’s technical foundation while introducing new features.
The update also increases precision of stat calculations, ensuring that complex stat interactions like “getting 5 Harvesting with 80% reduced Harvesting gain” produce correct results. These seemingly minor improvements prevent the accumulation of statistical errors that could break builds or create unexpected interactions in extreme scenarios.
Most significantly, the game has been updated to Godot version 3.6.1, providing performance improvements and bug fixes that benefit all players regardless of platform. This engine update positions Brotato for future enhancements that might require more modern development tools and capabilities.
October Update and Future Timeline
Evil Empire has confirmed that a full update arrives in October 2025, though specific details about content additions beyond The Gobbler remain under wraps. The studio plans to share “broad ideas” with the community soon, followed by potential beta testing phases that allow player feedback to influence development directions.
“What you can expect is more chaos, more experiments, and maybe a few disasters along the way. That’s how good games grow,” Evil Empire explained. This transparent approach acknowledges that not every addition will succeed while emphasizing learning from community response rather than dictating development paths.
The promise of regular content updates suggests a sustainable development cycle that could extend Brotato’s lifespan significantly. With over 10 million players across PC, console, and mobile platforms, the game has demonstrated sufficient audience to justify ongoing investment in meaningful expansions.
Planned Development Features
- **Regular Updates**: Consistent content additions with beta testing phases
- **Quality-of-Life Improvements**: User interface and accessibility enhancements
- **Community Integration**: Player feedback directly influencing development priorities
- **Potential DLC**: Full expansion packs introducing major new gameplay elements
- **Bug Fixes**: Ongoing technical maintenance and optimization
- **Balance Updates**: Fine-tuning existing content based on player data and feedback
Blobfish Games’ Strategic Transition
The decision to transfer Brotato development reflects Blobfish Games’ confidence in both the game’s stable foundation and Evil Empire’s capabilities. Rather than abandoning the project or allowing it to stagnate, this transition ensures continued growth while freeing the original team to pursue new creative challenges.
Thomas Gervraud’s excitement about playing Brotato again suggests that even the game’s creator views Evil Empire’s involvement as potentially transformative rather than merely maintenance-focused. This endorsement carries significant weight given Gervraud’s intimate knowledge of the game’s design philosophy and technical limitations.
The arrangement allows Blobfish Games to leverage Brotato’s success to fund new projects while ensuring their most successful creation continues evolving under experienced guidance. This model could become increasingly common as indie developers seek sustainable approaches to live-service game management.
Cross-Platform Implications
Brotato’s availability across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, iOS, and Android creates unique challenges for live-service development. Evil Empire’s experience with Dead Cells’ multi-platform updates should prove invaluable for maintaining content parity across diverse hardware capabilities and platform requirements.
The recent addition of touch controls for Xbox Cloud Gaming, including Brotato specifically, demonstrates the game’s expanding accessibility. Evil Empire’s updates must consider how new content interacts with various control schemes and hardware limitations across this broad platform spectrum.
Mobile platform considerations could influence content design decisions, as touch-based gameplay may require different approaches to enemy patterns, UI elements, and timing-sensitive mechanics compared to traditional controller or keyboard inputs.
Industry Context and Roguelike Evolution
The Evil Empire transition occurs during a particularly vibrant period for roguelike games, with titles like Hades II, Dead Cells, and Vampire Survivors proving that the genre can sustain long-term player engagement through thoughtful content expansion. Brotato’s bullet heaven subgenre has become increasingly competitive, making continued development essential for maintaining relevance.
Evil Empire’s expertise in balancing new content with core gameplay preservation could provide Brotato with competitive advantages as similar games compete for player attention and time investment. Their understanding of how to introduce complexity without overwhelming new players while satisfying veterans seeking fresh challenges directly applies to Brotato’s diverse player base.
The studio’s commitment to community feedback integration reflects broader industry trends toward collaborative development approaches that treat players as partners rather than passive consumers, potentially creating stronger long-term engagement than traditional top-down content delivery.
Community Reception and Expectations
The announcement has generated overwhelmingly positive responses from Brotato’s community, with players expressing confidence in Evil Empire based on their Dead Cells track record. “Evil Empire did Dead Cells justice so there’s no doubt they will make some great Brotato content too,” represents typical community sentiment about the transition.
However, expectations remain high given Evil Empire’s reputation for excellence. The studio faces pressure to maintain Brotato’s accessible charm while introducing depth that justifies continued engagement from players who may have completed most available content.
The promise of beta testing phases should help manage community expectations by involving players in development processes rather than surprising them with unwanted changes or additions that conflict with established gameplay preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Evil Empire take over Brotato development?
Evil Empire announced the transition on September 28, 2025, with their first update already live featuring The Gobbler enemy and various technical improvements.
What is Evil Empire known for?
Evil Empire is renowned for their long-term support of Dead Cells through numerous DLC expansions including “Return to Castlevania,” and they’re currently developing The Rogue Prince of Persia.
Will Brotato change significantly under Evil Empire?
The studio emphasizes careful consideration of additions to avoid content bloat while promising regular updates, quality-of-life improvements, and potential DLC expansions that respect the core gameplay.
What is The Gobbler enemy?
The Gobbler is a new enemy that steals materials from the battlefield while growing in size and reward potential, creating risk-reward scenarios for players deciding when to eliminate it.
Is Blobfish Games still involved with Brotato?
Yes, Evil Empire works “under the watchful eyes” of Blobfish Games, though the original developer is focusing primarily on creating new games while maintaining oversight.
When is the next major Brotato update?
A full update is scheduled for October 2025, with Evil Empire promising to share more details about their plans and potential beta testing opportunities soon.
What platforms will receive Evil Empire’s updates?
Updates will continue across all current Brotato platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, iOS, and Android.
Conclusion
The transition of Brotato development to Evil Empire represents exactly the kind of thoughtful succession planning that ensures beloved indie games continue thriving beyond their original creators’ direct involvement. With over six years of live-service expertise and genuine passion for roguelike design, Evil Empire brings both technical capability and creative vision necessary to evolve Brotato while preserving its essential character.
The immediate introduction of The Gobbler demonstrates that this isn’t a passive maintenance arrangement but an active partnership aimed at meaningful expansion. With regular updates, community feedback integration, and potential DLC development on the horizon, Brotato’s future under Evil Empire’s guidance looks significantly brighter than simple maintenance mode.
For the 10+ million players who have embraced the potato protagonist’s chaotic adventures, this development transition promises sustained engagement through thoughtful additions rather than abandonment or stagnation. The October update will provide the first major test of Evil Empire’s vision for Brotato’s future, but their track record suggests that the best days of this beloved roguelike may still lie ahead.