Upcoming Game Updates, Full-Size Body Pillows, and Fan Creation Event Prizes

It's been a while, everyone! With our latest estimates in hand, we can now confirm our plans for the next stage of the game! Thank you so much for your support. Here's an update on some of the questions you've been asking~ —————————————————— PART 1: Upcoming Game UpdatesQ: Are the individual character routes definitely happening? Will I need to pay for them separately?A: Yes, development is confirmed. If you already own the game, there will be no additional charge.

After reviewing the project's revenue and the investment needed for further development, we have confirmed plans to develop the full version, including the individual character routes. Once the new content is ready, you will receive it directly through a Steam update. You won't need to buy the game again or pay the difference. Whether you buy the game during this sale or at any other time, you'll receive the corresponding update when the full version launches. This development plan does not depend on crowdfunding or merchandise sales. Please don't feel you have to buy merchandise just to "help us finish the game."

Q: Will the price go up when the full version launches?A: We will adjust the base price, but it will not go up immediately because of this announcement.

After releasing the common-route version of the game, we heard from some players and distribution partners and became aware of concerns that our current price might amount to unfair undercutting that harms the market. That was never our intention. Before any price increase, we will announce the specific pricing changes and the date they will take effect. Under our current plan, we will keep the existing price for a while after the full version launches, then adjust it after giving advance notice. Existing owners will not be affected and will still receive the update for free. You can decide whether to buy based on the content available now, or wait for the full version and read the reviews before deciding. Please don't feel you have to buy now out of fear of missing the lower price.

Q: How much content is planned for the full version? A: Our current estimate starts at a minimum of 400,000 Chinese characters of text and more than 40 CG illustrations. (Please note that these are only our early plans.) This includes complete individual routes for all four heroines.

Q: When is the next major release expected? A: Our current estimate is about a year and a half. As mentioned above, the lead creator is doing almost all the writing and drawing for those 400,000-plus Chinese characters and 40 CG illustrations alone. It's quite a challenge!

Q: Are Japanese and English localizations planned? A: We've heard you, and we appreciate everyone who has let us know through Steam and other channels that you'd like Japanese and English localizations. We are currently assessing whether Japanese and English translations are feasible. The game contains a lot of internet memes and other references specific to Chinese internet culture, and we are concerned about preserving and conveying the script's original meaning in translation. If we have the resources and capability to do so, we will do our best to release official Japanese and English text translations alongside the full version. Thank you for your support.

Q: What are you doing about the bugs and performance issues on lower-spec PCs reported since launch? A: For the full version, we plan to move to a new engine and rebuild the framework to improve resource management, the size of the game files, and compatibility. A voice-line favorites feature and a character art gallery are also planned. We will share details on what has been completed as development progresses.

Since launch, programming, compatibility, and resource usage issues have prevented some of you from playing normally. Nyads Games was responsible for the relevant technical implementation, resource management, and pre-release testing. We did not do this work well enough. The art assets in Could You Be a Gal Master? are generally very high-resolution, averaging around 9000 × 5000 pixels, with some far exceeding that. The original intention behind this level of detail was to make the characters look their best. However, our indie developer had no prior experience developing a visual novel and hastily built the framework based on experience from previous Unity indie games. We failed to process and package these assets properly. That was a failure on our part. The original artist should not be blamed for the game's file size or performance problems. We owe every player an apology. We are sorry. We will continue following up on the issues you have reported. Thank you as well to everyone who has shared screenshots, save files, and steps to reproduce problems in the Steam Community and our player groups. You helped us find many issues we had missed. More than offering further explanations, we want to make these improvements a reality in the game.

—————————————————— PART 2: Merchandise After a lot of long nights, our lead creator has finished the full-size body pillow illustrations for all four heroines! Every illustration was drawn from scratch, rather than taken from existing in-game art. If you're interested, keep an eye out for more details. We expect them to go on sale within the next couple of months! We also want to be clear that there will be no preorders or crowdfunding for this merchandise. These will be in-stock products intended for ongoing sale. Please take your time: play the game, read reviews from people who have bought the merchandise, and only consider buying if you truly want it and it fits within your disposable income. Please spend responsibly! Playing our game is already the greatest support you can give us. Thank you for all the love!

—————————————————— PART 3: Fan Creation Event Since the game launched, we've come across so many of your fan creations on different platforms: videos, cosplay, figures, illustrations, and all kinds of wonderfully strange memes... Seeing them has moved us and made us incredibly happy.

With the merchandise coming soon, we've decided to hold a fan creation event and invite everyone to join in! Submission period: October 1–November 20 Selection period: November 21–November 26 How to participate: Xiaoheihe (小黑盒): Post your work in the “难道你是GAL高手” section, then enter the link to your work in the submission form. Bilibili (B站): Post your work with the “难道你是GAL高手” tag, then enter the link to your work in the submission form.

You can tag our account in a description or comment.

Fan Creation Event Prizes: First Prize: 1 winner — 2 full-size body pillows of your choice. Second Prize: 3 winners — 1 full-size body pillow of your choice each. Third Prize: 5 winners — 4 chibi keychains each. Inspiration Award: 20 winners — 1 chibi keychain of your choice each.

We'd like to emphasize that this isn't meant to be a competition. We simply want to find a way to thank you. Selections won't be based solely on popularity or technical skill. To put it simply, there might not even be any fixed judging criteria...! We've tried to make room for as many winners as possible, and we hope everyone has fun taking part!

QQ group for fan creation event announcements: 1107190058QQ group for bug reports and casual chat: 136639983