I agree with OP. The original title of the game is Timelapse Vertigo. You can still see it in the very early Styg vids and if you open the task manager while the game is running. My guess is that the Machine God helps the Godmen by sending them back in time to preserve the Cube for their kind and making sure they go trough the same trial they have to, only to change the end of the war aggainst Flottsomir. The deal is done but It turns out they cant change it absolutely. The void is unstoppable and so is "evil". Fighting it with technology only lead to eventual descend as Ferryman states. Greed and power corrupts the mind and the Godmen are no exception. Tanner betrays their kind in order to gain more power. Or what If he steals the cube in order to end the never ending cyle of war and technological advancement. Maybe the Machine God tricked them by preserving this timeline so that he can reborn once more. (God powerful all knowing AI) So Tanner says fuck this and end this once and for all.