The folks at InnerSloth, developer of Among Us, have announced that they have stopped work on Among Us 2. While this may come as a surprise to new fans, there is reason behind the decision. Though the game was first released in 2018, it didn’t hit its stride until this year. Plenty of arguments exist for why it has exploded in popularity, though what’s more interesting is Innersloth’s response. By cancelling the sequel, the developers will be able to focus more on improving and expanding the original. Their suggested updates may fix some of the main issues while leaving room to consider player requests.
Among Us | What We’ll Get vs. What We Want
Sloth’s Update List
Earlier this week on its devlog, InnerSloth explained its decision and some of its plans for Among Us. They include both technical and content improvements showing promise for a better experience.
Servers: Due to the sudden influx of players, the game’s servers have taken quite a beating. They currently cover the regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, which is still a tall order. Many players have reported having to jump onto other servers when hosting or being suddenly kicked out due to a faulty connection. Addressing server concerns is a good step in the right direction and a good start overall.
Colorblind Support: The game relies heavily on its visual aesthetics, especially concerning player characters. While players are free to change their name on the title screen, most in-game discussions devolve into naming suspects based on their suit color. Adding some additional labels or text would be nice change for those who have difficulty telling them apart.
Friends/Account System: Let’s face it – While Among Us definitely has one of the more tolerable online communities, it’s a game best enjoyed with friends. Like in Werewolf, you want to play with people you know to make the discussions more engaging. Hosting private matches with codes is simple enough, but an in-game friends list would make it much faster and easier to organize.
New Stage: Now we’re getting to the good stuff. While the sequel may have been abandoned, the ideas are alive with InnerSloth wanting to add them to Among Us. Since there are only there stages to choose from, adding another will easily make the game feel bigger. It’s said to be Henry Stickmin-themed, which should add a nice spoonful of comedy to the oddball space game.
These updates sound like music to the ears, although player experience shows that maybe they should add some more instruments.
Community Wishlist
InnerSloth’s proposed updates are welcome improvements to Among Us, but there’s more to consider based on player comments. Here are some of the few that have underlined more than once.
Voice Chat: We live in an age where a game having chat is almost as common it having a start menu. Chatting is a double-edge sword when it comes to online gaming, and most wouldn’t be blamed for turning it off half the time. However, having a chat system that works like a two-way radio between players could be effective during discussions and adding another angle to gameplay.
Text Shortcuts: Whether or not chat ever arrives, the in-game message system could definitely benefit from an upgrade. It serves as a chat room with players being able to send messages in the lobby or discussions. However, when discussions have time limits and not everyone possesses the texting prowess of an IT-trained spider, it can stagger things. Assigning buttons to locations, characters and general behaviors can help speed things up while keeping them tense.
More Maps/Randomizer: As stated earlier, Among Us only has three maps at the moment, and an avid player will quickly become familiar with all of them. When creating a private match, the host can adjust most of the details to a surprising degree, but must choose one of the maps beforehand. This risks creating a routine for player strategies, so adding more maps and randomization will help keep things fresh.
The Final Say
While Among Us 2 may be gone, the drive to create it lives on in the future of the original. The InnerSloth developers have given us a peek into planned improvements, and what we’ve seen looks good so far. While it has yet to be seen how they’ll take player requests into account, the sense of strong community focus is apparent. Aside from more impostors, we’re excited to see what else we’ll find Among Us.
