Vampire Survivors' developer didn't intend to make the mobile version of the game itself, but had to after it couldn't find a studio that wouldn't embrace "non-predatory" monetisation.
Mobile games can often be a mixed bag, as there's plenty with incredible stories, but while normally free-to-play, they're often walled with countless microtransactions. That made the reveal that Vampire Survivors' mobile version would be completely free, no strings attached, quite unusual. In an interview with PCGamer, developer Poncle explained why it did so, and the difficulties that have come with the decision.
According to Poncle, the studio spent "months" looking for a mobile developer to handle the project, but none were prepared to opt for a "non-predatory" business model. But due to the huge number of clones racking up on mobile stores (which were "actual 1:1 copies with stolen code, assets, data, [and] progression) Poncle had to work on it itself.