Make My MMO: Ashes of Creation’s alpha, Chronicles of Elyria’s path forward

It’s been a few weeks since we did a classic Make My MMO column, what with the annual recap over the holidays and all. So we’re back in action now to recap the MMO Kickstarter and crowdfund news of the past couple of weeks!

Notably, Crowfall prepped its first patch of the year, Albion Online’s studio got bought out, we said farewell to HEX, we got a detailed preview of Ashes of Creation’s alpha one Mage, Chronicles of Elyria vowed that development continues in our new interview, our writers crushed on Elite Dangerous, and CSE dropped footage for Camelot Unchained and presales for Final Stand: Ragnarok.

Read on for more on what’s been up with MMO crowdfunding over the last little while, plus our roundup of all the crowdfunded MMOs we’re following!

Camelot Unchained

Recent MMO crowdfunding news

Make My MMO: The biggest MMO crowdfunding news of 2020

Ashes of Creation gears up for more alpha playtests this spring

CIG acquires a perpetual license for Crytek’s CryEngine to further develop Star Citizen

The Daily Grind: Will you kickstart any MMOs in 2021?

Chronicles of Elyria clarifies art and comms as players vow their lawsuit will go forward

Crowfall’s first beta patch of 2021 includes a revamped leveling system

Albion Online saw an ‘ever-growing population’ in 2020, promises mobile release in 2021

Camelot Unchained wraps up 2020 with hope and cheer

The Stream Team: Farewell 2020, farewell HEX — a sunset stream

The Repopulation further talks up inventory and storage refinements, announces plans for mini-wipes

Ashes of Creation may sell more Alpha 1 keys after successful playtest

Why I Play: Elite Dangerous is the space sandbox we’ve been looking for

Pantheon beckons you over for a sneak peek at crafting

Camelot Unchained demonstrates its Terminator-like enemy AI in new video footage

Ship of Heroes presents a nightmare after Christmas with new holiday video

Fractured welcomes you to a free end-of-year PvP playtest

Dual Universe sketches an outline of a content-packed 2021

Star Citizen releases roadmaps and financials, Squadron 42 withholds release date and gameplay

The Stream Team: A flurry of fun for AQ3D’s Frostval

Exclusive: Ashes of Creation Alpha One preview of the Mage class

Crowfall recaps an eventful 2020 as it pushes forward to launch in 2021

Star Citizen reschedules its Assault on Stanton server event to next year

Shroud of the Avatar previews the Well of Aldur adventure scene and several upcoming gameplay changes

Dual Universe introduces the full rundown on its detailed blueprint DRM systems

Pathfinder Online celebrates the holiday season with the Pharasmin Sequences

Star Citizen is set to begin its first server-wide dynamic event this week

Into the Super-verse: A heroic year of superhero MMO development

City State Entertainment’s Final Stand: Ragnarok heralds the arrival of ‘first access’

Star Citizen releases alpha 3.12, celebrates the holidays, and gives away a hoverbike for referring a friend

Albion Online studio Sandbox Interactive just got bought out for more than €100M

Elite Dangerous’ latest Odyssey dev diary focuses on FPS combat

Chronicles of Elyria is still in development, new video from Soulbound vows

Legends of Aria apologizes for COVID-related update and communication delays, shares details for Season 7

Project Gorgon patches in winter festivities plus Deer and Ice Magic revamps

Book of Travels takes a detailed look at the character creation process

Star Citizen adjusts insurance wait times and costs in 3.12 test build, sending the community into a froth

Shroud of the Avatar shows off new hood patterns, gets a seal of approval from Richard Garriott

Pantheon’s latest dev roundtable dives into the environment

Chronicles of Elyria

Campaigns and crowdfunded MMOs we’re watching

3001SQ (Société des Mondes Virtuels) – Kickstarter unsuccessful, dev halted in 2018.
AdventureQuest 3D (Artix Entertainment) – Raised 368k; beta began Oct 2016.
Albion Online (Sandbox) – Launched July 2017, hit Steam May 2018.
Antraxx (Team Antraxx) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ascent: The Space Game (Fluffy Kitten Studios) – Successful KS. Fully launched 2016.
Ashes of Creation (Intrepid Studios) – Successful KS. Alpha zero.
Book of Travels (Might and Delight) – Kickstarted successfully. Closed beta.
Broke Protocol (Cylinder) – Unsuccessful KS. In free early access.
Camelot Unchained (City State) – Kickstarter successful; open donations/packages.
Caribbean Conquest (Invenio) – First KS canceled, second ended unsuccessfully.
Codename Reality (Orode) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Contested Space (Zon)
Crowfall (ArtCraft) – Kickstarter win, Indiegogo. Beta.
Chronicles of Elyria (Soulbound) – Kickstarter. Apparently un-abandoned?
City of Heroes Homecoming (Homecoming) – Monthly donation rounds.
City of Titans (Missing Worlds Media) – Successful KS.
Dawngate (Studio Wayfinder). Kickstarter successful.
Day of Dragons (Beawesome) – Kickstarter successful.
Descent Underground (Descendent Studios) – Successful KS.
Destiny’s Sword (2Dogs) – Kickstarter successful June 2019; demo avail now.
Divergence Online (Stained Glass Llama) – Abandoned in early access.
Dogma: Eternal Night (Prelude Games Factory): Kickstarter. Probably dead.
Dragon of Legends (Thrive Games) – Successful Kickstarter.
Dual Universe (Novaquark) – Kickstarter funded, donor platform. Paid beta.
Eco (Strange Loop Games) – Funded, now in alpha.
Edengrad (Huckleberry Games) – Kickstarter funded. Abandoned, then not, then again.
Elite: Dangerous (Frontier Developments) – Funded and fully launched.
Empyrion Online (Eleon) – Kickstarter canceled; launched on Steam early access.
Endless Trials (Fire Hurts) – Kickstarter canceled.
Epic Space (EpicSpace.net)
EverFeud (PSB) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ever, Jane (3 Turn Productions) – Now in open beta.
Fractured (Dynamight) – Kickstarter successful. Alpha 2.
Frozen Flame (Dreamside) – Fig campaign successful. In founder alpha.
Global Adventures (SubaGames) – Kickstarter funded.
Gloria Victis (Black Eye Games) – Open donations, no end date; in early access.
Greed Monger (Greed Monger) – Abandoned, now allegedly in refund process.
Grim Dawn (Crate Entertainment) – Funded and launched.
Guardians of Ember (Runewaker) – Funded and launched.
Guns of Icarus (Muse) – Funded and launched.
Hero’s Song (Pixelmage) – KS canceled; Indiegogo. Canceled w/ refunds.
Infinity: Battlescape (I-Novae Studios)
HEX (HEX Entertainment) – Funded, launched; sunsetted in 2020.
Ilysia (Team 21) – Kickstarter fully funded Oct 2020.
Legends of Aria (Citadel Studios) – Kickstarted as Shards Online. Launched 2020.
Life is Feudal (Bitbox): Indiegogo ended. Currently in beta.
LUX (Chimera) – Kickstarter canceled.
Maestros of the Anthymn (String Theory) – Kickstarter canceled.
Maguss (Maguss) – Indiegogo successful; open beta.
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) – Open donations, no end date.
Novus AEterno (Taitale Studios)
Oath (Ready-Up) – Kickstarter funded. Seemingly abandoned.
Occupy White Walls (Stikipixels) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
OrbusVR (Ad Alternum) – KS funded March 2017. In early access.
Overpower (Hydrant Games) – Kickstarter unfunded; heading to early access.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (Visionary Realms) – Open donations. Pre-alpha.
Pantropy (Brain Stone GmbH): First Kickstarter canceled, second funded.
Past Fate (Icy North): First Kickstarter unsuccessful, second successful.
Pathfinder Online (GoblinWorks) – Still alive but struggling.
Path of Titans (Alderon) – Indiegogo.
Planet Nomads (Craneballs) – Kickstarted, early access launched sans multiplayer.
Playcraft (Bebop Games) – Kickstarter funded May 2019.
Pixel Starships (SavySoda)
Project Gorgon (Elder Game) – Kickstarted in three tries + Indiegogo. Early access.
Project Oasis World (POW) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Pumpkin Online (Monique) – Downgrading from MMORPG.
RAW (Killerwhale) – Kickstarter canceled by Kickstarter.
ROKH (Darewise) – Kickstarter canceled; in  early access but not active dev.
RUiN (Tarhead Studio) – Kickstarter successful.
Sacrament (Ferocity Unbound) – Kickstarter failed; Patreon ongoing.
Saga of Lucimia (Stormhaven) – Indiegogo. Intermittent pre-alphas.
Seed (Klang Games) – Kickstarter imminent?
Shadow’s Kiss (Clockwork Throne) – Ongoing Patreon, Kickstarter funded.
Ship of Heroes (Heroic) – Kickstarter canceled, launch expected in 2021.
Shroud of the Avatar (Portalarium) – Soft launch July 2016. Launched March 2018.
Spycursion (Defun) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Squadron 42 (Cloud Imperium) – Beta delayed until who knows when.
Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium) – Ongoing donations/packages. Backer alpha.
Starfighter Infinity (Ben Olding) – Kickstarter funded. Early access.
Swords ‘n Magic and Stuff (Kindred) – Kickstarter funded.
Temtem (Crema) – Kickstarter fully funded; now in early access.
The Exiled (Fairytale Distillery) – fka Das Tal; KS unsuccessful. Early access.
The Flower of Knighthood – Kickstarter canceled.
The Realm: Reawakened (Stephen Nichols) – Ongoing GoFundMe.
The Repopulation (Idea Fabrik) – Kickstarted twice by A&B. Back in alpha.
The Stomping Land (Alex Fundora) – Abandoned.
The Wagadu Chronicles (Twin Drums) – Kickstarter successful.
Titan Reach (Square Root) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Trials of Ascension (Dragonfire) – Latest Kickstarter failed.
TUG (Nerd Kingdom) – Totally abandoned without a word. Now considered a scam.
Vigor Roads (NeuronHaze) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
War of Rights (Campfire Games) – Successful Kickstarter; in early access.
Zenith (Ramen) – Kickstarter successfully funded; now in pre-alpha.

Ship of Heroes

Yes, some crowdfunded MMOs most definitely do succeed. But others crash and burn, and you need to hear about the whole spectrum of games that sought your money early in exchange for the promise of input and transparency. And that’s exactly what Make My MMO does every Saturday. Help us keep ’em accountable, would ya?