The Character Limit launch on July 21 was a weird day for a number of reasons. For a start, that it actually happened at all. After a failed first review, Steam support approved the game on Monday, allowing a Tuesday release as intended. The launch process required four manual confirmations in Steamworks, feeling like a dual-key missile launch but with lower stakes. Seeing the game live felt about as emotional as buying cat litter on Amazon, partly because Malcolm had an eight-hour workday at AppleInsider immediately after.

Sales in the opening week were modest but not zero. Celebration involved taking Emma to KFC late at night and failing to find a Toblerone. Post-launch emails fell into three categories: paid promotion services of questionable legitimacy, Steam Curators requesting review keys, and supposed streamers with inactive Twitch accounts seeking free keys. Verification revealed some hadn't streamed in nine years.

The iOS and iPadOS version targets a mid-August launch before September's iPhone coverage circus. Linux and Android ports are on the to-do list. Current tasks include bug fixes, feature wishlists (languages, background videos, user submissions, new modes), and promotional outreach. The 15-year-old version of Malcolm would be over the moon, though he wouldn't understand the work is far from over.