Earlier this month, we expressed serious concern over the fate of Camelot Unchained when it became clear that studio Unchained Entertainment had laid off 24 of its 55 developers owing to (we theorized) investor problems – and now we’ve got at least a bare acknowledgement from a dev, though maybe not one anyone is going to like.
A small recap is in order (longer recap is here): RvR MMORPG Camelot Unchained was originally Kickstarted all the way back in 2013; the Mark Jacobs-led studio put the game in beta, opened a second studio, and revealed a second game, Final Stand Ragnarok, built on CU’s custom engine. As of last year, Unchained said it had scored investor funding to launch Camelot Unchained by the end of this 2025, following a playable slice expected last summer, but we didn’t get one; instead, last fall CU sent a letter to backers heralding a “temporary suspension of external playtesting […] until the build is stable and polished enough to show you the progress we made and not just a giant construction zone.” The letter also told players to expect more details “early next year” (meaning early 2025) in the form of forum/Discord announcements and a “State of the Game presentation” from Jacobs.
Apparently, that’s still incoming, and in fact, there’s now a timer ticking on the whole ordeal. A player named – and I am not making this up – Phallic Ballchinius posted a lengthy thread and petition on the forums back on January 20th, immediately after the layoffs became public knowledge; the petition chastised the studio for its lack of communication, pointed out Final Stand Ragnarok’s miseries, and accused UE of “mismanagement of backer funds,” all while demanding a timeline for CU, a commitment to scheduled updates, and a reopening of refunds. Mr. Ballchinius (I’m sorry but LOL) then lays out what sure looks to us like a soft legal threat.
“If we do not receive a detailed timeline and regular updates within days (April 20, 2025), we will explore the option of filing a class-action lawsuit under applicable consumer protection laws. This action would aim to secure refunds for all eligible backers and ensure accountability for the promises made during the campaign.”
There’s only a few signatories to this petition, and of course MMORPG players know how unlikely legal success in lawsuits against Kickstarted MMOs actually is, and also the player is named Phallic Ballchinius, but nevertheless, an Unchained Entertainment developer did respond.
“I’ve forwarded this message to [Mark Jacobs] and you can expect to see a response within the next 90 days,” Camelot Unchained community manager Travis Parsley replied.
Ninety days, of course, is still within the window of early 2025, but it does look as if UE plans to keep that promise from last fall. Whether it will appease frustrated players is another story.
