A group of Spacebase DF-9 fans calling themselves Derelict Games released a significant update to the game last month that fixes known problems and adds new features, nearly a year after Double Fine brought the game off Steam’s Early Access service and ceased developing it.
While it’s not uncommon to see games receive post-launch patches and mods, this case is intriguing because of the way Double Fine released Spacebase last year: abruptly, with an apology to fans about not being able to continue development and an olive branch in the form of a full source code release.
At the time we highlighted Spacebase as an example of the potential perils of Early Access, as Double Fine conceded that it wanted to continue working on the game but couldn’t justify the expense.
The studio’s decision to release source code seems to have paid off, as Kotaku notes that the Derelict Games patch adds much-needed features missing from the original Spacebase and showcases continuing community engagement with the game.
Of course, more than a few modern game developers got their start making mods for other games.