….
[-Continuation-]
[Location - In Random Flat Of A Gamer]
.
[-Third Person View-]
A man lounged in front of his glowing gaming setup, one hand lazily reaching for a chip while the other rested on his mouse.
The crunch of each bite filled the quiet of his small, single-room flat, the walls of which were plastered with posters of iconic games.
Among them, oddly enough, was a brightly colored poster of [Candy Crush].
It wasn't something he flaunted, but he was proud of it.
Back when the game first launched, he had been one of the very first to stream it, playing it long before it exploded into the phenomenon …it was now.
His online name, Dark Circle, was etched into that early player list, and though he didn't dwell on it much, the thought still brought a flicker of pride.
It had been six months since the game's launch, but his attention had already drifted elsewhere.
[Candy Crush] was still there, of course.
The Christmas update a couple of months ago had been fun enough, and he still played it occasionally when he wanted something light and casual.
It was, he knew, just a filler - a distraction.
And the developers had designed it perfectly for people who wanted something simple to pass the time.
You would be surprised at how many people in the world were just looking for something to kill time.
His mouse wheel scrolled down as he browsed the community pages aimlessly, his eyes skimming over a cluttered stream of thumbnails, trailers, and reviews.
He was looking for something to excite him, something that would reignite that spark of enthusiasm he had once had for gaming.
But it was all just… meh.
–pikachuuu~(:notification)
Then, out of nowhere, something caught his attention.
It wasn't another generic ad or spam notification.
No, this was a message. A direct message, in fact.
From Orgo Gaming.
"...." For a moment, he just stared at it.
Orgo Gaming - the company behind [Candy Crush].
They weren't particularly active online, at least not through their official accounts.
Their main page mostly posted predictable updates - sales milestones, announcements about seasonal discounts.
The social media page for [Candy Crush], though, was a different story.
That page was buzzing with activity - fans showing off their achievements, the developers chiming in now and then.
Recently, someone had reached level 1050, which apparently made them the furthest player in the game so far.
The comments section exploded with reactions, and even the developers chimed in, congratulating the player while teasing that they weren't even halfway through the game yet.
Seeing this, Dark Circle couldn't resist the urge to jump back in and resume his own progress at level 982.
One thing was certain - he hadn't expected much from Orgo Gaming as a whole, especially after their recent releases.
...Surely, a company like that wouldn't focus on just one game forever.
So ever since [Candy Crush], he had been keeping an eye on the company's new projects, but their last two releases this year had been disappointing.
Still, a direct message from them? That was unexpected.
Curiosity piqued, he clicked on the notification.
What appeared on his screen was...
An invitation?
Not just any invitation - it included two free passes to the official event where the company would announce and launch their next game.
"…Did they seriously invite me?" Dark Circle muttered, his gaze fixed on the personalized header.
His name was right there.
He checked it once. Then again. And a third time for good measure.
There was no mistake.
For a moment, he just stared at the screen, trying to process it.
He wasn't anyone special. Just an average middle-aged office worker who doubled as a small-time gaming streamer.
Sure, his channel had about 80,000 subscribers - a respectable number, but hardly enough to stand out in the vast gaming influencer landscape.
Yet, here it was.
Addressed directly to him.
The realization sent a rush of excitement coursing through an otherwise uneventful evening.
Confused but intrigued, he clicked the link included in the invitation - a trailer for their upcoming game.
The video loaded, illuminating his face with the soft glow of the monitor. He leaned forward, his curiosity outweighing his skepticism.
He watched it once.
Then a second time.
And then again.
Each replay only deepened his intrigue.
….
By the time he had watched it over ten times, he leaned back in his chair, his mind spinning.
The trailer is about a game called [Minecraft].
The name jogged his memory.
Two months ago, he had seen a vague announcement about the game - a handful of keywords like - open world, survival, crafting, and multiplayer.
What really threw him off, though, was the poster for the game and the font style they used for the game's name.
But back then, it hadn't left much of an impression, but now?
Now he wasn't so sure.
The trailer showed blocky characters in a …pixelated world?
Everything - the characters, tools, landscapes - was made up of squares and rectangles.
At first glance, it looked absurd.
Pixelated graphics? In this day and age?
The style felt less like a deliberate choice and more like a relic from a bygone era, nostalgic, perhaps, but undeniably outdated.
Most developers were racing toward hyper-realism, pushing hardware to its limits to craft lifelike visuals.
And while those efforts often fell FAR short, at least they tried.
So, what was this?
Forget realism - this looked like something from the early arcade era.
And yet, despite its strange, almost jarring simplicity, something about it pulled at him.
A nagging voice in his head told him not to dismiss it so quickly.
It was a gut feeling, the kind he'd developed after years of playing games.
There was something here - something he couldn't quite put his finger on.
Either way, he couldn't dismiss the thought that there was something more here.
Shaking off the thought for a moment, he dove into one of the online gaming communities he frequented, searching for any chatter about the message he had received.
….
.
"Damn, they really are going all out." He muttered, finishing up a chat with a friend who had also received the invitation.
The pieces were slowly coming together.
Apparently, Orgo Gaming was going all-in for this event.
It wasn't just some small press conference.
This was a massive launch party - held in an auditorium that could hold over 50,000 people.
However, the company had decided to sell only thirty-five thousand tickets to the public.
The remaining spots?
They were reserved as giveaways for gamers, influencers, and even a select few private players who had hit milestone achievements in Orgo's games.
A free giveaway?
The idea had caught many off guard at first, leaving them scratching their heads.
But as those who received invitations began to share their stories online, the pieces started falling into place.
The invitees weren't random.
They were a deliberate mix of online content creators, influential gamers, and loyal fans who had earned their spot through dedication and achievements.
Dark Circle was one of them.
The realization left him feeling… well, privileged. Thrilled, even.
But that wasn't all.
What really set his excitement ablaze, and the real bombshell news, was - along with unveiling the game, Orgo Gaming had teased something even bigger.
The reveal of the original creator behind [Candy Crush].
And apparently he was also the creator of [Minecraft].
That revelation was monumental - especially for fans of [Candy Crush].
The identity of the developer had been shrouded in mystery from the beginning.
While the game had skyrocketed to success, Orgo Gaming had faced criticism for keeping the creator's name under wraps.
Rumors swirled that the developer had sold off their rights in exchange for a bigger share of the game's profits.
Many suspected Orgo had deliberately leaked such stories to smooth over the controversy.
Still, as time passed, people seemed to accept the narrative.
The game wasn't even meant to be a flagship project - it was a competition winner that Orgo had published as an experiment.
Yet it exploded in popularity, becoming a cultural phenomenon.
The developer's decision to negotiate for more shares instead of outright royalties was now seen as a stroke of brilliance.
Players admired the unknown developer, who not only believed in their work but also had the foresight to bet on its success.
And now, the company was finally going to reveal the person behind all this.
Sure, skeptics claimed this was just a strategic move.
A way for the company to ride on the coattails of [Candy Crush] fame to boost interest in their upcoming game.
He knew how the corporate world worked.
If Orgo believed showcasing the developer would drum up more sales and goodwill, they would jump at the chance - regardless of any initial agreements.
It wouldn't surprise him if they even offered the developer extra pay to take on the role of the game's public face.
By now the implications of the game's success were clear - it was here to rule for more than a decade.
Orgo had finally realized that embracing the original developer could cement their legacy - and the legacy of their games - for years to come.
With a recognizable face behind the game, the company stood to gain even more reach and credibility.
At the same time, failing to honor such a key figure would risk backlash from both fans and the gaming community.
All things considered, this event wasn't just a game launch.
It was a moment in gaming history.
And Dark Circle?
He couldn't wait to be there.
.
….
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
[A/N : If you are confused, he is the same guy from 100th chapter]
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