I’m terribly sorry to report this morning that The Wagadu Chronicles is shutting down development and sunsetting.
Our readers will know that Wagadu was a unique afrofantasy MMORPG featuring authentic African-inspired music and lore; it was Kickstarted for almost $200,000 back in 2020 and bolstered by Riot Games funding too. It had a promising start, but when it hit early access last December, our streamers and previewers – to say nothing of backers and testers – were worried it was way too early, and its player count on Steam was tiny. Then in January, Riot Games shut down Riot Forge, the very program backing games like Wagadu. Even so, studio Twin Drums released a roadmap less than three months ago, talking up a new partnership, plans to “fully secur[e] long term funds,” and a 2025 launch. It seemed that the game was at least going to make it to release.
But not anymore. As Twin Drums told Kickstarter backers today, it’s out of money and shutting down operations.
“As you may have noticed, our updates this year have been less frequent. Over the past few months, Twin Drums has been fighting to stay financially afloat. Despite our best efforts, we’ve reached the end of the line. Even with all the passion and sacrifice that the team invested into Wagadu, we don’t have the resources to keep on going. When we began planning this Kickstarter campaign, the world looked very different—COVID-19 was unheard of, inflation wasn’t making headlines, and funding for gaming was on the rise. Despite facing relentless challenges and rising costs, our vibrant and dedicated team—made possible by you, our Backers—managed to thrive, grow, and learn. We came so close, and I only wish we had more time.”
While the studio touts the past releases of its three setting books, including a massive TTRPG, it does announce a sunset for the MMORPG’s early access on May 18th. The company has also reneged on promises to Kickstarter backers in regard to printed books: “I am very sad to announce that we are unable to provide the printed books and art to those who pledged for them.”
Our sympathies go out to the backers and the developers.
