Something that has never failed to surprise me over the years is how talented and passionate the FNAF fan game community is. There is such a large variety of games, and many of them present new and interesting ideas I could’ve never thought of.

So many games out there have the potential to stand on their own as original projects rather than fangames, and I feel like the only reason they aren’t is because the developers are either not interested in the idea, or they’re simply scared to receive backlash.
After all, the most prominent examples of “FNAF inspired” games out there aren’t exactly known for their… quality, rather for being poorly made games which thrive off of FNAF’s popularity.

But what if someone wanted to make their fan game into an original project? Is that even possible?
The answer is: yes, it is very much possible. As long as your game doesn’t include copyrighted or trademarked material (models, soundtracks, locations, characters, etc.) you can promote it as its own thing, IF you believe it’s what fits the project better.
There’s PLENTY of parodies and spiritual successors out there, so why shouldn’t we be able to do the same with our games? Many fan games in the past have turned into original projects, and there are many games out there that are clearly heavily inspired by other IPs (Safe Room, Odyssey, Freedom Planet, etc.).
There’s nothing wrong with separating your project from the original IP, what matters is how you go about it.

By now you’re all probably wondering where I’m going with this, or maybe you’ve already figured it out:

After thinking about it for a long time and talking to multiple people, the team and I have decided to turn DEERWOOD into an original project.
“Is this going to change the game?” Not at all! We will proceed with the current plan and release the game for free as we originally intended, however it will no longer be referred to as a fan game nor will it be associated with FNAF in both content and promotional material.

You may also be wondering “Why shouldn’t it be considered a fan game anymore?”
We believe DEERWOOD fits the label of an original project, rather than a fan game, as it doesn’t include any copyrighted or trademarked material from the FNAF IP. It only takes inspiration from said IP, but all of the content and assets used and presented in-game are 100% made from the ground-up by our team.

You might consider it a “risky decision”, maybe you don’t agree with it, and I understand that.
However this decision will allow us to put DEERWOOD out there for everyone to see, without it being confined by the fan game community, while still remaining a free game and very open about its heavy inspirations.

With that being said, I’d like to thank EVERYONE who has contributed to the project (whether they’re still helping or not), the game wouldn’t be here without them and I’m forever grateful for all the time and effort they’ve poured into it.
Please check them out if you haven’t already:
@HackGameX294 , @JenPen_ , @TheDuggster , @SqueaksDCorgeh , @TheManiacMartian , @helloitscrash , @TheresNoSteak , @Synoxsis , @softSynthethic

And last but not least, I’d like to thank all of YOU for supporting the game. You have no idea how motivating it is to hear people talk about the game, to hear people’s criticism and thoughts (I’ve read all of your comments, and I appreciate each and every one of them).

If you choose to continue supporting the game, thank you for indirectly helping us with our journey.
And if you choose not to support it, that’s fine too! I understand not everyone will agree with our decision, and that’s just fine. :)

That’s all for now! Expect more news soon and possibly another Devlog.

- @bonzee