Would you pay $27 for a subscription to an MMORPG? Lord British’s tiny and controversial crowdfunded MMO Shroud of the Avatar is going to test that theory, as it’s added two new monthly sub pledges in addition to the existing one, meaning players could choose to pay as much as $27 for their monthly sub in exchange for bonuses.
SOTA wasn’t even the only crowdfunded MMORPG to tinker with its pricing plan over the last few weeks; Ashes of Creation retooled its alpha bundles after a player uproar over what are effectively fees for testing the game.
Meanwhile, Embers Adrift locked in its new lower price, The Repopulation’s newest owners claimed to bring it back online, both Temtem and Zenith issued their last content updates, and we actually kinda liked Fractured. Plus, we’re watching the Kickstarter for Outbound, a cozy co-op camping game that will have met its goal many times over by the time its Kickstarter ends next week.
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!
Ashes of Creation
Recent MMO crowdfunding news
Elite Dangerous
Campaigns and crowdfunded MMOs we’re watching
It semi-launched?
In development
Dead or abandoned
Drama bomb
AdventureQuest 3D (Artix) – Raised 368k; beta since 2016.
Albion Online (Sandbox) – Launched July 2017, hit Steam May 2018.
Antraxx (Team Antraxx) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ascent: The Space Game (Fluffy Kitten) – Successful KS. Launched 2016.
Ashes of Creation (Intrepid Studios) – Successful KS. Alpha one.
Blast Out (Tarhead Studio) – Kickstarter successful. Originally called RUiN. In EA.
Book of Travels (Might and Delight) – Kickstarted. Early access.
Broke Protocol (Cylinder) – Unsuccessful KS. In free early access.
Camelot Unchained (City State) – Kickstarter; open donations/packages.
Caribbean Conquest (Invenio) – First KS canceled, second ended unsuccessfully.
Codename Reality (Orode) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Contested Space (Zon) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Crowfall (ArtCraft) – Kickstarter successful, Indiegogo. Launched, sold, unlaunched.
Chronicles of Elyria (Soulbound) – Kickstarter. Much shenanigans.
City of Heroes Homecoming (Homecoming) – Monthly donation rounds.
City of Titans (Missing Worlds Media) – Successful KS.
Dawngate (Studio Wayfinder). Kickstarter successful, but no license.
Day of Dragons (Beawesome) – Kickstarter successful.
Descent Underground (Descendent Studios) – Successful KS.
Destiny’s Sword (2Dogs) – Kickstarter successful June 2019; downgraded.
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.
Dreamworld (Dreamworld Realities) – Successful Kickstarter. Dodgy af. EA.
Dual Universe (Novaquark) – Kickstarter funded, donor platform. Launched 2022.
Eco (Strange Loop Games) – Funded, now in beta.
Edengrad (Huckleberry Games) – Kickstarter funded. Abandoned.
Elite: Dangerous (Frontier Developments) – Funded and fully launched.
Embers Adrift (Stormhaven) – Indiegogo. Fka Saga of Lucimia. Launched.
Empyrion Online (Eleon) – Kickstarter canceled; launched on Steam.
Endless Trials (Fire Hurts) – Kickstarter canceled.
Epic Space (EpicSpace.net)
Ethyrial Echoes of Yore (Gellyberry). Kickstarter canceled.
EverFeud (PSB) – Kickstarter canceled.
Ever, Jane (3 Turn Productions) – Successful Kickstarter. Sunsetted 2020.
Farm Folks (Crytivo) – Kickstarter successful, studio bought out, new Kickstarter inc.
Fractured (Dynamight) – Kickstarter successful. Launched 2024.
Fractured Veil (Paddle Creek) – Kickstarter successful. EA as of 2024.
Freeland VR (Freeland VR AB) – Kickstarter successful.
Frozen Flame (Dreamside) – Fig campaign successful. In founder alpha.
Genfanad (Rose Tinted Games) – Kickstarter successful. Launched 2022, sunset 2024.
Global Adventures (SubaGames) – Kickstarter funded.
Gloria Victis (Black Eye Games) – Open donations; 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) –Â KS canceled; Indiegogo. Canceled w/ refunds.
Identity (Asylum) – Kickstarter successful. Beta July 2022.
Infinity: Battlescape (I-Novae Studios) – Successful KS; in early access.
Ilysia (Team 21) – Kickstarter fully funded Oct 2020. Closed beta.
HEX (HEX Entertainment) – Funded, launched; sunsetted 2020.
Legends of Aria (Citadel/Reaper) – Shards Online. Launched 2020. Yikes. 2024 revival.
Life is Feudal (Bitbox): Indiegogo ended. Closed and maintenance-moded.
Loftia (Qloud) – Kickstarter. Fully funded.
LUX (Chimera) – Kickstarter canceled. Seemingly abandoned.
Maestros of the Anthymn (String Theory) – Kickstarter canceled.
Maguss (Maguss) – Indiegogo successful; launched then sunsetted in 2020.
Mekria (Infinity Online Studios) – Kickstarter canceled. Seemingly abandoned.
Midair (Archetype Studios) – Kickstarter successful. On Steam but abandoned.
Nebula Online (Mizar Games) Kickstarter canceled; launched in November.
Neo’s Land (NeoJac Entertainment) –Â Open donations. Abandoned.
Novus AEterno (Taitale Studios) – Successful KS. Abandoned.
Oath (Ready-Up) – Kickstarter funded. Seemingly abandoned.
Occupy White Walls (Stikipixels) – Kickstarter unsuccessful. Launched 2022.
Odd Giants (Odd Giants) – Patreon ongoing.
OrbusVR (Ad Alternum) – KS funded March 2017. Launched 2019.
Overpower (Hydrant Games) –Â Kickstarter unfunded; early access.
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (Visionary Realms) –Â Open donations. Pre-alpha.
Pantropy (Brain Stone GmbH): First KS canceled, second funded. In EA.
Past Fate (Icy North): First Kickstarter unsuccessful, second successful. Alpha.
Pathfinder Online (GoblinWorks) – Sunsetted 2021.
Path of Titans (Alderon) – Indiegogo. In early access.
Planet Nomads (Craneballs) – Kickstarted, early access launched sans multiplayer.
Playcraft (Bebop Games) – Kickstarter funded May 2019; in EA.
Pixel Starships (SavySoda) – Kickstarter funded. Second one too. In EA.
Project Gorgon (Elder Game) – Three KS + Indiegogo. Early access.
Project Oasis World (POW) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Pumpkin Online (Monique) – Launched as Pumpkin Days.
RAW (Killerwhale) – Kickstarter canceled by Kickstarter.
ROKH (Darewise) – Kickstarter canceled; dev ended.
Sacrament (Ferocity Unbound) – Kickstarter, Patreon failed. Abandoned.
Scars of Honor (Beast Burst) – Kickstarter unsuccessful; dev continues.
Seed (Klang Games) – Kickstarter imminent?
Shadow’s Kiss (Clockwork Throne) – Ongoing Patreon, Kickstarter funded. Early access.
Ship of Heroes (Heroic) – Kickstarter canceled, launch expected in 2022. Beta.
Shroud of the Avatar (Portalarium) – Launch 2016 & 2018. Trainwrecks.
Solarpunk (Cyberwave) – Kickstarter successful. Missed alpha window.
Spycursion (Defun) – Kickstarter unsuccessful.
Squadron 42 (Cloud Imperium) – Beta delayed.
Star Citizen (Cloud Imperium) – Ongoing funding. Backer alpha.
Starfighter Infinity (Ben Olding) – Kickstarter funded. Early access.
Starship Simulator (Fleetyard) – Kickstarter successful.
Swords ‘n Magic and Stuff (Kindred) – Kickstarter funded. Early access.
Temtem (Crema) – Kickstarter fully funded and launched; MMO dev halted, maint mode.
The Exiled (Fairytale Distillery) – fka Das Tal;Â KS unsuccessful. Early access but dev halted.
The Flower of Knighthood – Kickstarter canceled.
The Realm: Reawakened (Stephen Nichols) – Live game. Ongoing GoFundMe.
The Repopulation (Idea Fabrik) – Kickstarted twice by A&B. Abandoned, revived-ish.
The Stomping Land (Alex Fundora) – Abandoned.
The Wagadu Chronicles (Twin Drums) – Kickstarter successful. Canceled in early access.
TitanReach (Square Root) – Kickstarter failed. Defunct/scam. Aka World of Titans.
Trials of Ascension (Dragonfire) – Latest Kickstarter failed. In EA as a singleplayer demo.
TUG (Nerd Kingdom) – Abandoned without a word. Scam.
Valiance Online (Silverhelm) – Backer beta.
Vigor Roads (NeuronHaze) – Kickstarter unsuccessful. Website dead/abandoned.
War of Rights (Campfire Games) – Successful Kickstarter; in early access.
World Seed (Ape Egg) – Kickstarter unsuccessful. Classic launched.
Wizard’s Wrath (DragonfiAR) – Kickstarter canceled.
Zenith (Ramen) – Kickstarter successful; VR/sidegame maint mode, PC abandoned.