On March 29, Undertale and Deltarune creator Toby Fox made an X post hyping the Japanese version of OFF, a 2008 RPG Maker title developed by Belgian comic artist and game developer Mortis Ghost. Though the post intended to promote OFF’s patch 1.2, several comments (particularly those of Fox’s fans from Latin America) pointed out that the game featured more language options than Fox’s own titles, expressing their dissatisfaction for the limited localization, specifically the lack of a Spanish language option for Undertale and Delatrune. In a recent post on Bluesky, Fox addressed these concerns, apologizing to his fans.
Additionally, Fox wrote about the apparent lack of Latin American tour dates for the Undertale: The Determination Symphony concerts, while also addressing the topic of Fangamer merchandise shipping costs within the region.
When it comes to translations for Undertale, Fox says that the reason the game is only available in Japanese and English is that he is fluent in the languages and wants to be thoroughly involved with the localization process so the final versions of the translated games match his vision. Since a lot of Undertale’s narrative, humor, and gameplay hinge on wordplay, a single mistranslation can cause a joke or important story element to be misinterpreted. Likewise, entrusting translations to a localization team without being able to give his own input could be a difficult position from Toby Fox’s standpoint, compromising his creative vision. On the other hand, Fox appreciates Undertale’s unofficial fan translations, which allow the game to be appreciated by those not fluent in Japanese or English.
As for Deltarune, Fox admits that it is currently not feasible for his team to work on other translations besides Japanese and English, as the development time for each chapter would take much longer. While in the past he had looked into various translation options with his publisher, 8-4, to no avail, Fox is currently considering aa different approach, so as not to make anyone feel left out.
For fans based in Latin America in particular, Fox states that while he has hardly any involvement with Undertale The Determination Symphony and has no say in where the concert is performed, he wants fans to know that the organizers have heard their enthusiasm and hopes that they will be able to schedule shows in the region. He has a little more pull when it comes to Fangamer merchandise shipping, however, and will continue to work with the merchandising and publishing company to find more affordable solutions for Latin American fans.
Related:
Deltarune creator Toby Fox updates players with early reactions to Chapter 5
