Camelot Unchained
Setting: Fantasy / MMORPG | Developer: Unchained Entertainment | Platform: PC | Status: Still in development, Alpha | Year of Campaign: 2013 | Funds raised via Kickstarter: $2,232,933 | Backers: 14,873
Actually, the MMORPG, for which there was one of the most successful Kickstarter campaigns in gaming history in 2013, should have been out a long time ago. However, the team led by industry veteran Mark Jacobs repeatedly got sidetracked, faced financial issues, or was distracted by other projects like the PvE-MMO Final Stand: Ragnarök.
In the meantime, there were even scam allegations. Hardly anyone believed that Camelot Unchained could ever be finished. But then, after a long development time and many delays, a surprising status update came in March 2024 from the lead developer: Camelot Unchained is supposed to be released late in 2025.
Typical for Camelot Unchained, the next piece of bad news didn’t take long to arrive: In early 2025, Andrew Meggs, co-founder of the studio, wrote that there had been layoffs. 24 out of 55 employees had to leave.
As a result, some supporters of the project even contemplated taking legal action against the developer if there was no detailed timeline for Camelot Unchained in the foreseeable future. Studio head Mark Jacobs took three months to talk about the status quo of the MMORPG.
According to Jacobs, the layoffs do not mean the end of Camelot Unchained. Instead, they finally have a real game that can be used as a foundation for a great MMORPG experience. After 12 years of development. It didn’t help that the latest gameplay footage from the new zone didn’t resonate well with many players.
It’s all very unfortunate, considering that veterans are at the helm here who have greatly contributed to MMORPG classics like Age of Camelot and Warhammer Online. You can find a detailed summary of the tumultuous development here: What is actually happening with Camelot Unchained, the great hope for true MMORPG veterans?
