Custom buttons settings not working

Started playing AOR on my Steam deck. Initially I just used the SD controls and changed the buttons in-game (I'm old school, so I have gas/brake on the face buttons).
Then later, I plugged my Steam deck to a monitor and connected my 8Bitdo SN30 Pro+ controller via bluetooth. No problem. custom buttons work fine. Then I plugged it in directly to the Steam deck, also good.

But then today, when I connected my controller, the custom button settings in-game no longer work. It operates on only the default controller button setting. The Steam deck buttons are ok tho.

Tried the following nothing worked:
Plugging in directly to the Steam deck.
Reset in-game buttons and remapped custom buttons.
Uninstalled AOR on Steam deck.
Removed the controller from the Steam deck controller and bluetooth settings.
Factory reset the controller.

None of these worked. Note: the controller works fine in the Steam deck menus and other games.

Is this a Steam deck issue or a game issue?