SnaccPopStudios
patreon
A Deeply Personal Message to Our Supporters
🕑 Added 2024-10-31 00:19:20 +0000 UTCDear SnaccPop Patreon Community,
We want to open our hearts to you and share some deeply personal truths about our journey at SnaccPop Studios.
We Are Human Beings Just Like You
Behind every character you’ve come to love and every story that has ignited your imagination, there are real people with real lives. We are more than an LGBT+ studio; we are a collective of intersectionality marginalized peoples. Many of us are navigating significant personal challenges—physical disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, and the lingering shadows of personal traumas. These aren’t just occasional hurdles; they’re daily battles that profoundly affect how we live and how we create.
The Reality Behind the Scenes
We understand that many of you have been aware of our characters and stories for years. You might wonder why progress seems slow or why there have been so few updates. The truth is, we haven’t been working nonstop around the clock. There have been numerous hiatuses and production holds—not because of a lack of dedication or passion—but because life has thrown significant obstacles our way.
Our team is made up of independent contractors—about 40 incredible individuals—who, in addition to their commitments to SnaccPop Studios, have other obligations they must fulfill to survive. The financial support we receive, while deeply appreciated, isn’t sufficient to cover basic living expenses for all of us. It might seem like $6,000 to $8,000 a month is a lot, but spread across 40 people, it doesn’t go far. We have rent or mortgages to pay, utilities to keep on, bills piling up, insurance premiums, transportation costs—the list goes on. Many of us are juggling multiple jobs or responsibilities just to make ends meet.
Our Collective Struggles
We have team members who have lost their homes to natural disasters. Imagine trying to focus on creative work when you’re worried about where you’ll sleep at night or how to rebuild your life from scratch. Some of us have faced the devastating loss of family members and haven’t had the time or resources to process our grief properly. Others are managing untreated, unmedicated mental health issues—battling severe depression, anxiety, PTSD—without access to the care we desperately need.
The waitlists for proper psychological and psychiatric healthcare seem endless. We’ve been fighting to get affordable access to the help we need, but the system keeps pushing us further down the line. Every day is a struggle, and yet we press on because we are passionate about what we create and we care deeply about our community.
Why We Haven’t Been Able to Update You
We know that our lack of updates might feel frustrating. But please understand that it’s not because we don’t value you or your support. It’s because we’re dealing with significant personal challenges that make it difficult to maintain a regular production schedule. There have been times when we simply couldn’t bring ourselves to work—not out of laziness or neglect—but because our physical, mental and emotional reserves were depleted.
We’ve been trying to manage these challenges while also meeting the expectations of our community. It’s a delicate balance, and sometimes, our personal well-being has had to take precedence. We haven’t always been able to communicate this effectively, and for that, we apologize. We want to do better in sharing our journey with you, even when it’s messy and complicated.
The Impact of Unrealistic Expectations
We’ve heard suggestions from some in our community that we should replace team members who are struggling or not meeting deadlines. But that’s not who we are. Many of us have experienced firsthand what it’s like to be dismissed or overlooked because of our disabilities or health issues. We’ve had to hide our conditions, mask our pain, and pretend everything was fine just to keep our jobs in the past. We’re committed to not perpetuating that cycle within SnaccPop Studios.
We refuse to adopt the cold practices of industries that see people as disposable. We believe in supporting each other through hardships, not discarding someone when life gets tough. If a team member needs time because they’re unwell or facing a crisis, we stand by them. We adjust, we redistribute tasks, we wait—because we care about each other as human beings.
Our Plea for Empathy and Patience
We are pouring our hearts into our work, but we need your understanding. Creativity doesn’t thrive under relentless pressure, especially when personal struggles weigh heavily on us. We ask for your empathy and patience as we navigate these challenges. Know that every delay, every hiatus, is not taken lightly. It’s a difficult decision made to preserve the health and well-being of our team.
Moving Forward Together
To prioritize our well-being, we’ve decided to step away from strict deadlines. We’ll keep you updated on our progress as best we can, sharing insights into our process and being transparent about the obstacles we face. We believe that by taking care of ourselves, we can create better, more meaningful work that resonates with you on a deeper level.
If this approach doesn’t meet your expectations, we understand if you choose to step away. Your time, energy, money, and support are valuable, and you have every right to decide where to invest them. But please remember that threats of public shaming, doxing, exposés, libel and hypotheses on our personal lives, or demands for faster production only serve to harm real people who are already facing significant challenges and already feel shame and guilt for not being able to continue to push past their limits and boundaries more than they already have. Frankly, these reactions don’t speed up our work; they hinder it by adding stress and fear to our lives. There are many who have already decided to leave SnaccPop and its productions for fear and anxiety of such retaliation and ire of the threats mentioned above from a minority within the community. We are actively doing the best that we are able to and hope for you all to see what we can do when we are in a more secure and safe place.
A Heartfelt Thank You
To those who have stood by us, who have offered words of encouragement, who have waited patiently—we cannot thank you enough. Your support means more to us than words can express. You are the reason we continue to create, even when the road is difficult.
We hope you’ll see that we’re not just a studio—we’re a group of individuals trying to navigate life’s challenges while sharing our passions with you. We’re committed to our work and to you, our community. We believe in the power of stories to connect us, to heal us, to inspire us.
In Closing
We wanted to share this with you not to elicit sympathy, but to foster understanding. We hope that by opening up about our struggles, you can see the humanity behind the art. We are doing our best, and sometimes that means progress is slower than we’d like. But we believe that the journey is just as important as the destination.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your empathy and kindness make a world of difference.
With deep gratitude and respect,
The SnaccPop Studios Team
Comments
HEAV4NSENSE
I would like to say personally that although that I had a later start getting into the projects that are being produced here. I can tell there's a lot of care that's put into the games that are produced and Everyone here really enjoys their work. Please take your time and don't feel pressured to rush anything because the real people that support your projects will be here waiting for it to get done. From all the passion and hard work and love and care put into these projects, I can expect people to take their time to continue putting all this into them. You all have our full support and we hope that you guys can continue to make content, while Also making sure that you guys are doing well. <3
Kai
why isn’t this posted on kickstarter as well? why do your backers also need to subscribe every month to know what’s going on?
Xieron Draxin
I think taking a more casual approach to the game will be better for all. As you said, none of you are doing this full-time so there is no reason to keep to a schedule as if you are. It'll be done when it's done.
Anastasia Averianova
It was only thanks to your projects that I was able to start being creative again, so I will be forever grateful to the studio for this amazing energy that you give to people through your work. Supporting you and being patient is the least I can do to thank you
Hyenafossil
THank you for all your hard work everyone! Take all the time you require, personal matter have the priority and you have every right to tend to them
Indira Mendoza
Reiterating what I said in your previous post, "you are the experts" and you are absolutely right, although one as a subscriber can get upset, judge you or whatever you do, you will not do more than your limit, but I appreciate that you communicate with your sponsors and be true to what you are wanting to create. I come from your Latin fans in Mexico, since the 2022 who created the game, not only from your country are you creating something new and it will be difficult at times, it is preferable that you recover, that you do not overload yourself and that what can be developed will happen. Thanks to Jack and TMon, I love your projects, I will continue supporting you with what is within my reach and giving you the recognition you deserve, you are appreciated and also a hug for listening to us.
Luvii Waltz
Please, you guys give us more than you think. Take care of yourselves first. We can wait.
Celtic_Rose
I've been a supporter for quite a long time, I'm not going anywhere. Look after yourselves first, you're doing your best with almost impossible standards. We're all proud of you and are rooting for you.
Jane ♡
take all the time you need, please stay safe, take care of yourselves and always know that we're here to support you! ❤️✨
Karma
Thank you for all the time and effort you all put in. I hope the best for you and support the choices you all have to make in times where you are struggling. Know that I support you all and don't mind waiting as long as you are all ok.
Ghost
My heart goes out to all of you within the studio who work so hard to make a quality story for us all to enjoy and fall in love with. The struggles and pain you all have been working through have been great, and your perseverance has not gone unnoticed! We're all here and ready to wait and support this lovely group of people, so take as much time as you need to live and survive! Bless you all, truly, and I hope peace finds you. :) ❤️
Sofie
you guys are doing yoir very best and we all appreciate what you do, do whatever you need and use however much time you need. we will always wait🫶
