A Japanese game developer noticed exactly one fan from the Czech Republic wishlisted his project and translated the entire game just for them

An indie developer added full Czech language support to an upcoming Steam title after noticing that exactly one person from the Czech Republic had wishlisted the game, as detailed by Dexerto. The developer, EBA GAME, is preparing the title, Ball Boy Simulator, for an August 2026 launch on Steam.

Most creators would not think twice about the geographic location of a single wishlist, but the developer said the discovery of that lone Czech fan sparked a personal connection beyond typical sales metrics. The developer shared the story on X, tying the decision to a recent history of goodwill between Japan and the Czech Republic.

According to the post, the developer explained that seeing one signup from the Czech Republic, combined with the respect the country has shown Japan through the World Baseball Classic, led to the decision to implement Czech localization. Closing the message with, “Wait for me, my Czech friend.”

The gesture traces back to a moment from the 2023 World Baseball Classic

The connection stems from the 2023 tournament, during which the Japanese crowd and team took a liking to the largely amateur Czech squad. The Czech team lost 10-2 to the tournament favorites, but the performance still earned them respect from fans and players alike, and one moment in particular stood out.

Czech pitcher Ondrej Satoria, who works as an electrician outside of baseball, managed to strike out global superstar Shohei Ohtani during the tournament. That underdog moment is credited with cementing a lasting bond between the two countries, one that carried over into the Portillo’s and Dr Pepper collaboration making headlines elsewhere this week. Warhorse Studios, the team behind Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, was among the larger studios that publicly praised the localization decision.

Ball Boy Simulator is a first-person exploration game that puts players in the role of a student in a Japanese high school baseball club, tasked with finding missing baseballs after practice while navigating the social hierarchy of coaches and upperclassmen. The developer has described it as a story rooted in their own experiences with the pressures of youth sports, similar in spirit to the online buzz around Liquid Death’s new MrBeast collaboration elsewhere on social media this week.

Ball Boy Simulator, including its Czech localization, is set to launch on Steam in August 2026.