The creators of Sea of Stars have stated that they will be taking out the NPC named "Jirard the Constructionist," which was a cameo of YouTuber The Completionist (Jirard Khalil). This decision comes after the fraud accusations made by Karl Jobst and SomeOrdinaryGamers against Khalil.
There's been a lot of talk in the indie community recently about the charity event "Indieland" and the Open Hand Foundation run by Jirard Khalil, known as The Completionist, and his father. The foundation claims to actively fight against dementia, but there are videos suggesting they've received over $600,000 in donations without proof of supporting dementia research groups.
As of now, there hasn't been any official judgment on the allegations raised by Karl Jobst and SomeOrdinaryGamers. So, we won't dive into the details. Instead, let's focus on the connection between the Sea of Stars developers Sabotage Studio and The Completionist.
The Completionist And Sea Of Stars Devs Relationship
I didn't think this thing with Jirard would get The Completionist cameo PATCHED OUT of Sea of Stars.
— Solace and Dread (@SolaceAndDread) December 16, 2023
Wild. Holy hell. pic.twitter.com/vwCkr6Z5Ao
Sea of Stars is a fantastic indie game that brings back the charm of old RPGs like Final Fantasy 6 and Chrono Trigger. It features a turn-based combat system and unique pixel graphics, which also won the "Best Indie Game" award at The Game Awards 2023.
Khalil has been a fan of Sea of Stars from the beginning and has always been a big supporter of the game. He has a close relationship with Thierry Boulanger, who is the President and Creative Director of Sabotage Studio, who created Sea of Stars and The Messenger.
The Completionist expressed his love and appreciation for Thierry and the entire development team. He mentioned that The Messenger played a significant role in keeping him dedicated to his YouTube channel during tough times.
But it was none other than Thierry himself, who announced that Jirard's cameo in Sea of Stars will be removed:
A small patch will be going live on Steam and be submitted to consoles soon to replace the builder NPC in Mirth.
We arrived at the decision after carefully monitoring events over the past weeks, and while it is not our place to pass judgment, we do make it a priority to maintain a positive and optimistic space that reflects the spirit of our intentions, be they creative or otherwise.
This statement isn't just about removing someone out of the game, but rather signaling the end of a long-lasting friendship that has defined The Completionist's career.