Lets say Warlock Wireless have tried to meddle and push the development a way the Donkey's weren't happy with. If you cared so much about your game would you want to leave the fate of it 100% in their hands? I think it would be logical to stay on the team even if you weren't happy with the direction its going because at least then you would have some control. Now they have none at all.
I think they given 100% of it in their hands when signed that contract - "accept a deal - one that involved giving away the majority ownership, and therefore voting power, of the project we worked on for many years". And at some cases there is no more point to stay in such situation - for what sake? By your own arms drive project in wrong way and not having even a possibility to change something? Cut off features from your own game, because you have been told to, and can't change shit? And then, moreover, take all the responsibility for it before the community, because, look, before all this collapsed, no one even know that WW are in charge now - everyone blames chadz only. Maybe, it is WW who decide to postpone and keep quiet epic for undefined time - but still DC and mostly chadz took all the rage from community.
This is painfully reminiscent of the situation in some football(soccer - for NA) teams, that appears from time to time, at least in our league. There is f.e. some team with president-owner and trainer. And president in mid-season sold partof the team, the very best core players, or forced them to leave by cutting of the budget, and did not bought any new players instead, did nothing to strengthen the team. And so team starts to failing season. Who fans are blamed an outrage at first? Of course the trainer, they do not give a shit, that he can't do much with that shitty resourses that he has now. And at most cases trainers resigns at this point - nothing much they can do.
It sounds more likely that they were forced out imo, rather than having a disagreement on the direction. If they were forced out why would they keep some no name coders on board? You would keep at least some people experienced with the game. Why would Warlock Wireless want 0% of the Donkies? So then I go back to some getting laid off and then they all end up deciding to go rather than be split apart. Which to me would be pretty sad
Well, yes, they were forced out, except not "rather than", but "because of" they "having a strong disagreement on the direction" and it's the reason of development team demarche in my opinion. I can't see any other particular reason beside. Not enough money? Just develop the game further, and eventually you will have tons of it. DC do not know how and in fact could not done f.e. epic with this engine etc.? Then unlikely some "outside" dev could, what the point to continue project at all?
What else could be the reason?