Who had “Wurm Online shakes things up in a big way” on their 2023 MMO Bingo card? Nobody? That’s what we thought. In an industry that keeps on surprising, we got the news that the plucky fantasy sandbox is rebranding this summer to adopt a “fresh, vibrant, and memorable identity.”
Game Chest Group CEO Krister Elmgren said that the company will be unveiling the rebranding for Wurm Online at the end of June. Part of this effort includes a new website and an expansion of Wurm’s business model to include an in-game shop (and a forced retirement of traders). Traders will stay functional until July 17th and then be a token presence afterward. Wurm Online also is moving several positions around, with a new product manager and head game master taking over from the previous generation.
Elmgren stated, “Despite being a newbie in the Wurm Online community, I am deeply committed to this game and its potential for growth. The unwavering dedication and creativity of this community continue to inspire us.”
If you were wondering who the heck Game Chest Group is and what happened to Code Club, well, so were we. Apparently the Swedish Game Chest Group bought Code Club back in 2019, and we mentioned it in 2021, but it’s largely slid under the radar. The company runs several services and websites in the gaming industry, including a marketing-centric game subscription, a lootbox service, a browser gaming portal, an esports event tool, and a ticket vendor. According to Nordic9, the company owned an esports betting website at one point too, but it appears to have gone defunct.
In a press release for investors last week, Game Chest Group announced that the game had reached 10M SEK (around $935K US) in sales since its Steam port in July 2020. It also gives the rationale for the new cash shop:
“As part of the further development of the game, we are launching an integrated in-game shop that offers new and more products. Here we get a sales channel we previously did not use, because players historically had to go to specific places in the game world with the character to make in-game purchases. The product range has also been limited and functions such as time-limited offers have been missing. By now offering the player purchases in real time, we can stimulate trade with more products and offers. We also have the opportunity to sell previously developed goods, such as skins and items. The in-game shop also goes live during the month of June.”
