You're operating under the assumption that those are the checks that companies use in that order. The reality is that you can develop a game without players - they are the disposable. Will you make money without players? No, of course not... but ultimately, the players are optional. Development is a business, and the business will do what they can to work within their limits for highest profit.

Which means disposing of the data that is unused, so that the data that is being used has a place. While I'm not saying you can't be upset about losing your things, you are paying for the privilege of playing in a creative sandbox - when you stop playing there, or paying to play there, they are no longer obligated to hold your spot and will give it to someone who is paying.

This game has 15 second server backups. That's insane. Even they know it's insane. Your 50 items and their data, no matter how valuable they were to you, were not as valuable as the space they took up.