Unicorn Overlord’s devs spent every dollar they had on the game—and it’s not the first time

Producing a video game isn’t cheap, but it’s not every day we hear developers talk about running out of funds. Interestingly, Unicorn Overlord developer Vanillaware had a hard time managing the developmental budget—not once but for multiple of its projects.

Just a day ahead of Unicorn Overlord’s global release, Vanillaware’s CEO George Kamitani shared that the team “once again” ran out of funds while developing the tact RPG.

While it wasn’t exclusively specified, Kamitani is likely referring to the development of 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim as the game Vanillaware previously ran out of money for. Video games require a lot of financial investment, and developers usually have a plan.

While Vanillaware’s regular budget hiccups may indicate a management problem, it also hints at the team’s dedication to offering everything to build a perfect experience—even if it requires shelling out its own money. 

According to Kamitani on X (formerly Twitter), which Dot Esports translated using Google’s language conversion, Vanillaware had to “had to carry out their bicycles every time” to develop Unicorn Overlord, but it will reflect the years of hard work the team invested after Takafumi Noma first visualized the idea in 2014. “10 years of conflict is not just a story! Noma-kun’s ideals persisted. Enjoy it,” Kamitani wrote. 

Slated for release on March 8, Unicorn Overload’s riveting visuals and combat mechanics have got RPG fans’ attention. For a game that was in development for a decade, players have been naturally expecting a lot from it—and Vanillaware hasn’t shied away from hyping the community either. After all, it’s its most ambitious project to date, according to programmer Onishi.