This week in MMORPG crowdfunding, the backers of Chronicles of Elyria have officially lodged their class-action lawsuit against Soulbound Studios and Xsolla in a California district court. The suit alleges that Soulbound raised over $14M in crowdfunds and sales, almost half of which were conducted through Xsolla; that Soulbound misled backers about the state of the game; and that the game is no longer in production. It further alleges that Xsolla violated its own terms of agreement with users when it refused to to honor refund requests for pre-orders through which no content is delivered, and it demands restitution for all members of the class.
We note here that Soulbound Studios has claimed in recent months that it is once again working on Chronicles of Elyria. “Regardless of the state of the game (as alluded to by Jeromy [Walsh] in his recent updates) the lawsuit will go forward,” the leader of the lawsuit Discord said last week. “This will likely get us access to a lot more behind the scenes information about the true status of the game.”
Meanwhile, there’s been some good news for The Wagadu Chronicles as developer Twin Drums announced it has received a new infusion of funding. Plus, Dual Universe posted its latest newsletter, OrbusVR turned three, Elite Dangerous players warned about a new scam, and Albion Online rolled out Patch 13.
Read on for more on what’s been up with MMO crowdfunding over the last few weeks, plus our roundup of all the crowdfunded MMOs we’re following!
The Wagadu Chronicles
What an honour to have been selected for a regional loan to make @WagaduChronicle even bigger and more awesome. Thank you @medienboard for believing in us💖 https://t.co/qbhe8Ig9la
— Twin Drums (@TwinDrums) February 4, 2021
Recent MMO crowdfunding news
Elite Dangerous players are apparently being duped into indentured servitude
OrbusVR celebrates three years of operation with a scavenger hunt
Pathfinder Online shares the final tally and rewards for its Pharasmin Sequences event
Elite: Dangerous explains the details of the First Footfall system coming with Odyssey
Crowfall discusses tutorial progression and campaign scoring changes in latest livestream
Star Citizen breaks down the capital ships and shield tech of the Assault on Stanton dynamic event
Multiplayer survival RPG Frozen Flame updates enemies, shares some music, and offers a demo on Steam
Star Citizen outlines work on a ‘community favorite’ ship, hacking, weapons, and Orison landing zone
Albion Online’s new Patch 13 adds the Use All button, updates Avalonian mobs, and refreshes the meta
Star Citizen’s Tony Z on how dynamic events will work in the game
Albion Online previews Call to Arms, taking faction warfare to a new level
Ashes of Creation plans a new website, 20 biomes, and February 19 milestone test
Camelot Unchained previews the Verdant Forest and creation of 21 different races
Shroud of the Avatar brings a new scene, buff-providing statues, and quality-of-life features in Release 86
Star Citizen discusses the creation of logos, docking arms, outpost buildings, and more vehicles
Dual Universe offers up a detailed look at its upcoming mission system
Stick and Rudder: Nine non-combat activities to enjoy in Elite Dangerous
Book of Travels’ soundtrack aims to take you to a whole new world
Albion Online’s next major patch delivers the Use All button
Shroud of the Avatar announces plans to make public cache chests bigger and fancier
TitanReach shows off more character and weapon models, shares new music, and crafts an account system
Ashes of Creation
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) – Successful Kickstarter. Sunsetted in 2020.
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.
Frozen Flame
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?
