Embers Adrift has some good news bad news – good news for players, but bad news for the studio, which is apparently being screwed over by its payment processor.
In a memo to players today, Stormhaven Studios explains that it’s used Digital River as its payment processor for Embers Adrift since before the game launched – but Digital River has allegedly gone silent after withholding player payments since June, and it doesn’t look as if Stormhaven is the only company affected. Here’s Stormhaven:
“Until recently they have been a reliable partner, however, we have not received any payments since our June revenue payment. After making inquiries we were informed about an unconsulted adjustment to the agreed upon payment schedule. Despite our patience, repeated inquiries, and expected payment dates coming and going, we have not received our expected revenue. Stormhaven Studios is taking decisive action to ensure the continued support and development of our game. After consulting with our legal counsel, we sent a legal demand letter to Digital River on October 11th, which has been confirmed delivered, yet we have received no response. Additionally, we have seen a growing number of complaints from other companies facing similar issues with Digital River, casting doubt as to whether we will ever recover the funds owed to us. In light of this situation, we have terminated our partnership with Digital River.”
So, the important part for players: Stormhaven is migrating the game to Steam, canceling all active subs through Digital River, and making the game free temporarily, though players are asked to donate through a donation page while the team sorts out this legal mess.
“In an effort to reduce any further damage to our community and game, we are excited to announce that Embers Adrift will TEMPORARILY be available for FREE, granting all who wish to play Embers Adrift access to the game AND all subscriber perks while we work on this migration,” the team writes. “We anticipate that this process will take a couple of months, after which we plan to return to our standard monetization model. We will keep our community updated with details on our migration plan and schedule as work progresses.”
