Projected 2022 Timeline and Goals Update

I was expecting to be able to release 0.68 this past weekend, but I'm still waiting on the last Huong piece to be finished. I'm wondering if maybe there was a miscommunication of some sort with the artist so I'm trying to reach out and see what's going on. I feel like on the outside it is starting to look like I'm just stringing you guys along and that doesn't sit well with me, so once he wakes up and responds I will update this post on Huong's situation.

Depending on what is going on, I'm wondering if maybe I should go ahead and release the next update without this last piece of artwork for now, as it has been a while since the last update. Even without the artwork, I still have easily 3x as much content as I have had in past updates, so maybe it will still be worth it? 

DLC aside, Artifact is fast reaching a point of completion now, with the exception of artwork, which is the main thing that is going to take a while. As such, I'll be altering the Patreon goals over the next month to better fit the new anticipated schedule for completion. 

• By the end of August, the first third of the story should be mostly complete (if not complete), with the remaining 2/3rds to be completed in the following months. August's update will also have more new mechanics, entirely new original music replacing the current tracks, as well as the game's first male NPC artwork! 
• By the end of September, the second third of the story should be complete. I am hoping to have the 'final boss' ready here as well if not sooner, and full artwork for at least 1 more character. I may also add a couple more music tracks. 
• By the end of October, the main campaign story should be finished and the game should be playable from beginning to end (or very close to it). There should be at least 1 more set of character artwork, so all character art would be about 1/3rd of the way done. Work on the free DLC will begin, and since the majority of what is left from here on out would just be artwork, and artwork can only be rushed so much, I will also begin preliminary work on a brand new adult game that caters to the same or similar fetishes, only this time it will not be a text adventure. It will have an entirely new art team, both because I'm looking for a different style, and because I'd like the artist for Artifact to continue focusing on just Artifact until its completion. More information on this new game will come soon enough. 
• By the end of November, an early version of the DLC should be available to play, and hopefully by this point we are able to do full artwork for at least 2 characters per month, plus start replacing the stock photo backgrounds with hand-drawn artwork, bringing the projected release date for the game with completed artwork to no later than Summer 2023, possibly even sooner if Patreon support continues to grow. 
• By the end of December, the DLC should be finished and really all that is left for Artifact would be waiting on the last of the artwork, fulfilling any artwork obligations to Patrons, and bug fixes. There should also be some concept art available to show for the new game, and work on a playable build would begin.
• For 2023, Artifact and its DLC will be released in full, artwork and all, and I will be working to bring the new game to you guys. The new game is bigger in scope, but I'd still like to have a functional early access build ASAP for you guys to enjoy, so I'm considering releasing it in an episodic manner, but as it's still really early I don't want to say too much about this. 

I thank you guys so much for your support and your patience. I am definitely interested in hearing back about 0.68, would you guys like me to go ahead and release this build without that last piece of artwork, or would you prefer to wait and have it included? 

Edit: It's the background he's having trouble getting right, so it may take some more time. If it's not finished by the end of the day Wednesday, I'll be uploading 0.68 Thursday without it.