First off, I want to make it clear that this post isn’t about pushing any political agenda or viewpoint. I’m just sharing my thoughts on what’s been happening recently with Godot and why I’ve decided to step back from it. Let’s jump in.
So, recently, the Godot Engine got caught up in some pretty heated drama. It all started with a tweet where they joked about “woke” games. Now, personally, I don’t care much about these kinds of jokes, but many in the community felt it was inappropriate, especially coming from a game engine. After all, Godot isn’t a political platform; it’s a tool for developers to create games, right? The backlash was swift, and what should have been a minor issue quickly spiraled out of control.
Instead of letting things cool down, Godot’s moderation team overreacted. They started banning people left and right—not just the trolls but also legitimate users who were offering constructive criticism. I get it; managing a large community can be tough, especially when emotions are high. But banning people simply for disagreeing? That’s where I draw the line. People who’ve supported and contributed to the engine for years were suddenly locked out of the community. It felt like a huge overreach.
Then things got even worse when it was revealed that one of the community moderators, who wasn’t even officially part of the Godot team, had a history of using harmful language. The Godot Foundation distanced themselves from this person, but the damage was already done. Trust in the platform had been seriously shaken. And honestly, I don’t blame people for feeling betrayed.
I used to really like Godot. It’s an amazing open-source engine with a passionate community, and it allowed people like me to build games without dealing with the heavy corporate baggage that comes with some other engines (cough Unity cough). But after all this, it’s become hard for me to feel the same way. I don’t want to use a platform that feels like it’s more focused on culture wars and politics than game development.
I’m not saying I’m against taking a stand on important issues—I just don’t think that’s what a game engine should be doing. Game dev is already hard enough without the added stress of political drama.
So, what’s next for me? Well, I’ve been hearing a lot about a new fork called Redot. From what I can tell, it’s based on the same principles as Godot but with a focus purely on development—no politics, no distractions. It seems like a fresh start, and I’m seriously considering making the switch. I know it’s early days for Redot, but so far, it’s looking like a great alternative.
To wrap this up, I just want to say that I’m sad it’s come to this. I didn’t want to walk away from Godot, but sometimes you have to move on when things no longer align with your values. If you’re feeling frustrated by what’s been happening, maybe give Redot a look. It might be the change you need too.
Thanks for sticking with me through this. See ya!