I'm sorry but no, i don't understand, you promised us all free, and i can get the direct quote
"All of this is to say that I'm going to be releasing a new version of the game soon. My plan is to make it a paid release for a few months before eventually making it free for everyone. If you've played the game, I can promise that the new game will be worth it! You can see some previews of the new art over on my bsky or reddit"
You gave us a promise, as a creator you should fulfill said promise. It's saddening to see you fall into this cycle and not even follow through with what you promised us.