This week in MMO crowdfunding, Ashes of Creation’s Kickstarter came to a close with $3.2M and nearly 20,000 backers, making it the biggest MMORPG Kickstarter to date. Backers — and would-be backers who didn’t jump into the Kickstarter — should take a peek at the game’s latest update, which outlines the backer awards for everyone as crowdfunding continues this month on the official site. Intrepid does note that there won’t be any stretch goals, however, to avoid “scope creep.”
Meanwhile, Shroud of the Avatar surprised its players this week by announcing on its seasonal fundraising livestream that it’s pitched a $2M equity crowdfunding campaign to raise money ahead of the game’s formal launch, which is happening this year. (Stay tuned for more on this Monday!)
Plus, Elite Dangerous is awash in Thargoid sightings (thanks, Kinya!), OrbusVR previewed the Ranger, Crowfall patched up ahead of this weekend’s pre-alpha testing, and Grim Dawn sold its millionth copy.
Read on for more on what’s up with MMO crowdfunding over the last week and the regular roundup of all the crowdfunded MMOs we’ve got our eye on.
Ashes of Creation’s Kickstarter
Recent MMO crowdfunding news
Ashes of Creation’s Kickstarter has successfully funded at $3.27M - Ashes of Creation's Kickstarter has successfully funded this morning, bringing in a grand total of $3,271,809Â US out of its $750,000 goal with almost 20,000 individual backers contributing, thus making it…
Kickstarter to take no action on Ashes of Creation’s campaign following referral program confusion - Last weekend, we ran an article covering PC Gamer's detailed investigation into Ashes of Creation's pledge system. At the time, PC Gamer's Steven Messner wrote that Kickstarter had told the author that…
Shroud of the Avatar makes $2M equity crowdfunding pitch, plans 2017 launch - Shroud of the Avatar's Summer Telethon concluded last night, having raised from players $115,000 and unlocking multiple stretch goal rewards for players, including balloons and special pipe smoke shapes. Perhaps…
City of Titans blasts enemies with funky dance moves - Anyone remember that old console game Moonwalker? You played as the late Michael Jackson who would use his suave moves to defeat enemies. But perhaps the most remembered element was…
Path of Exile streamlines its microtransaction system - [AL:POE]You get a lot of stuff for free in Path of Exile. If not for the fact that the game appears to still be a financial success, it could be…
Star Citizen’s Around the Verse on the new website and colossal ship migration - Big changes are coming to Star Citizen -- well, to its website. This week's episode of Around the Verse explains that the game's website is being overhauled to make it…
Camelot Unchained updates progress on crafting, combat, and character creation - Camelot Unchained's latest monthly newsletter has arrived, and the highlight -- aside from the fact that City State hired Andrew Jackson to work on the game -- is Ben Pielstick's…
Chronicles of Elyria develops fuzzy ecology and announces MUD visuals - Aw. Look at the otter. Isn't she cute? Swimmin' around like that? It's not that we thought you needed an otter break today (although you totally do), it's that Chronicles…
Ashes of Creation hires five new team members, shows off snowy environments - As Ashes of Creation takes aim at the $3M line for its Kickstarter campaign, Intrepid Studios announced that it has made several significant hires to its development team, some of…
Ashes of Creation sprints down the final crowdfunding stretch - This is it, boys and girls. Ashes of Creation is going to wrap up its immensely successful Kickstarter campaign tomorrow, and the only question left is whether or not the game…
Albion Online’s black market is a brilliant solution for a sandbox economy - Albion Online Game Director Robin Henkys has a fresh video out today explaining the game's black market. Albion is one of those fairly rare MMORPGs that insists that all items…
Grim Dawn sells 1M copies, previews Inquisitor class - While you've been off playing other games, Grim Dawn has become a sleeper hit in the ARPG community. The dark game just announced its one millionth copy sold since its…
Project Gorgon finishes coding brand-new graphical user interface - Anyone who has ever played Project Gorgon knows that its graphical user interface is as basic and utilitarian as possible. Well, soon that is going to change, and the game…
The Repopulation moves forward with huge patch, alpha plans - Back in January, we learned the fate of The Repopulation: The Hero Engine team from Idea Fabrik would be taking over development of the game from its original developers at Above &…
You’ve got mail in Shroud of the Avatar - Just ahead of the long weekend, Shroud of the Avatar rolled out one of its distinctly consistent monthly updates for early players. The so-dubbed Release 42 includes more combat and…
City of Titans
Campaigns and crowdfunded MMOs we’re watching
3001SQ (Société des Mondes Virtuels) – Kickstarter unsuccessful. Work continues.
AdventureQuest 3D (Artix Entertainment) – Raised 368k; beta began Oct 2016.
Antraxx (Team Antraxx) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ascent: The Space Game (Fluffy Kitten Studios) – Successful KS. Fully launched 2016.
Ashes of Creation (Intrepid Studios) – Successful KS.
Camelot Unchained (City State) – Kickstarter successful; open donations/packages.
Caribbean Conquest (Invenio) – First KS canceled, second ended unsuccessfully.
Contested Space (Zon)
Crowfall (ArtCraft) – Kickstarter win, open packages, Indiegogo crowdfunding ongoing.
Chronicles of Elyria (Soulbound) – Kickstarter successful, open packages.
Citadel of Sorcery (MMO Magic, Inc.) –Â Open donations.
City of Titans (Missing Worlds Media) – Successful KS; launch planned for fall 2018.
Descent Underground (Descendent Studios) – Successful KS.
Divergence Online (Stained Glass Llama)Â –Â Three campaigns; now in KS early access.
Dogma: Eternal Night (Prelude Games Factory): Kickstarter over, donor preorder packs.
Dragon of Legends (Thrive Games) – Successful Kickstarter.
Dual Universe (Novaquark) – Kickstarter funded, now has donor platform. Alpha delayed.
Eco (Strange Loop Games) – Funded, now in alpha.
Edengrad (Huckleberry Games) – Kickstarter funded; in early access.
Elite: Dangerous (Frontier Developments) – Funded and launched.
Empyrion Online (Eleon) – Kickstarter canceled; launched on Steam early access.
Epic Space (EpicSpace.net)
Ever, Jane (3 Turn Productions) – Now in open beta.
Gloria Victis (Black Eye Games) – Open donations, no end date; in early access.
Greed Monger (Greed Monger) – Abandoned, multiple times now.
Grim Dawn (Crate Entertainment) – Funded and launched.
Guns of Icarus (Muse) – Funded and launched.
Hero’s Song (Pixelmage) –Â KS canceled; Indiegogo. Canceled w/ refunds.
Infinity: Battlescape (I-Novae Studios)
HEX (HEX Entertainment) –Â Funded and launched.
Legends of Aria (Citadel Studios) – Kickstarted as Shards Online. Currently in alpha.
Life is Feudal (Bitbox): Indiegogo ended. Currently in beta.
LUX (Chimera) – Kickstarter canceled.
Maestros of the Anthymn (String Theory) – Kickstarter canceled.
Mekria (Infinity Online Studios) – Kickstarter canceled.
Midair (Archetype Studios) – Kickstarter successful.
Nebula Online (Mizar Games) Kickstarter canceled; launched in November.
Neo’s Land (NeoJac Entertainment) –Â Open donations, no end date.
Novus AEterno (Taitale Studios)
OrbusVR (Ad Alternum) – KS funded March 2017.
Overpower (Hydrant Games) –Â Kickstarter unfunded; heading to early access.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (Visionary Realms) –Â Open donations, no end date.
Pathfinder Online (GoblinWorks) – Doom, mostly.
Planet Nomads (Craneballs) – Kickstarted, early access launched sans multiplayer.
Pixel Starships (SavySoda)
Project Gorgon (Elder Game) – Kickstarted in three tries + Indiegogo. In alpha.
Pumpkin Online (Monique) – Downgrading from MMORPG.
The Exiled (Fairytale Distillery) – fka Das Tal; 2015Â KSÂ unsuccesful. In Steam early access.
The Realm: Reawakened (Stephen Nichols) – Ongoing GoFundMe.
The Repopulation (Idea Fabrik) – Kickstarted twice by A&B. Back in alpha
ROKH (Darewise) – Kickstarter canceled; now in early access.
RUiN (Tarhead Studio) – Kickstarter successful.
The Stomping Land (Alex Fundora) – Abandoned.
Sacrament (Ferocity Unbound) – Kickstarter failed; Patreon ongoing.
Shadow’s Kiss (Clockwork Throne) – Ongoing Patreon.
Shroud of the Avatar (Portalarium) – Successful KS. Soft launch July 2016.
Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium) – Ongoing donations/packages.
TUG (Nerd Kingdom) – In middle of year-long revamp after funding surge.
Vigor Roads (NeuronHaze) – Kickstarter unsuccessful; early access planned for 2017.
Elite’s Thargoids
