Yeah, I had just suspected the same here:
https://community.gemsofwar.com/t/3-2-5-feedback-and-suggestions/33955/129?u=sheba
Since Cyrup has also declared that the other thing that gives people headaches still - the semi-transparent board - will not be changed anymore. There is no benefit in for them in keeping something that gives people health issues - unless they have no choice but to keep it.
I’ve had some experiences - I have worked as a translator for online games before. While I was only a third party, I had gotten messages from my employers, who were the creators of the games, before about “make the text shorter, it’s too big in the font and I’m not allowed to change it”. I never really asked about that - why the creator is not allowed to change something - but I suspect that in these days, to list things in the stores of Microsoft, Google, Apple, Sony and whatever, you need to follow the rules they make and with that, what they want to make out of the game.
Of course it’s just a theory and I don’t expect the devs to confirm anything (as it’s very normal that such things don’t get discussed with the players), but given how the new UI, now the new status effects and particles, have caused many health issues and make the game for people with vision problems anything from difficult to play to unplayable, there’s little else what comes to mind.
I understand the UI update in that it makes it possible to expand to other languages which was not possible before. However, the particles I don’t understand and between announcing that health issues stay ingame and Salty’s statement that the game is supposed to look like the “others” now instead of keeping its own charm, it’s either the devs having given up on what they want(ed) to create or them having no choice anymore.
Both possibilities are equally sad. 