Virtue's Last Reward Sequel Sunk by Japanese Investors

Kotaro Uchikoshi, the creator of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward, opened a personal Twitter account for his English fans this week. Sadly, the reasoning behind this spelled bad news for the series' future.

Despite the PlayStation Vita murder mystery and its Nintendo DS predecessor 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors being massive cult hits in the West, it finds itself fading away in its native homeland. With sales figures in the red, chances of a third game have been sealed away by Japanese investors. As such, the passionate developer has reached out to fans overseas to seek aid in reviving the dying series.

While followers instantly suggested a Kickstarter similar to Comcept's recent Mighty No. 9, the determined director stressed that it isn't possible due to Chunsoft not having an office in the qualifying regions. Instead, he's hoping to make a connection with a Western backer.

Fans have since raised their flags, flooding social media with support. And the mass response – which included touching messages featuring franchise catchphrase 'seek a way out' – supposedly moved Uchikoshi to tears. It seems that neither side is willing to give up hope just yet, but it's not going to be easy to get a third instalment off the ground. Do you have any ideas on how to solve this conundrum? Leave your strategy guide in the comments section below.