Crowdfunding MMORPGs experienced a real boom from 2013 to 2018. Successful games like Albion Online, as well as long-term projects like Camelot Unchained or Star Citizen emerged from this period. We, in turn, have collected games that sounded very promising on paper but ultimately failed.
This is how I selected the games: For this list, it does not matter whether the MMORPGs were released or already canceled before release. I also set a minimum threshold of $50,000 that had to be raised through crowdfunding.
We also introduced some of these titles to you in a dedicated video:
Chronicles of Elyria – Crowdfunding of at least $7.7 million
What made the game so interesting? Chronicles of Elyria aimed to create a realistic fantasy world where your characters age over time. They would develop gray hair, wrinkles, and eventually face death. Therefore, it was essential to consider succession after a certain period to pass on a portion of your wealth and skills.
An avatar’s life was intended to correspond to about a year in real life. After that, you would have had to continue playing with the offspring or a new character.
The MMORPG planned a free skill system with different weapon and armor types. There were also various professions you could learn, with mini-games required for crafting.
Chronicles of Elyria also promised:
- A highly detailed character editor.
- Dungeons and boss battles.
- The ability to control your own kingdom.
- An AI-based story that would dynamically change based on what you have achieved with your character.
However, the game never experienced a release.
How much did it make? Through an initial crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter, Chronicles of Elyria raised a remarkable $1.3 million. Later, more pre-order packages, skins, kingdom slots, and a virtual advent calendar for $95 were sold through the website.
Overall, the MMORPG is said to have raised about $7.7 million by 2019.
What did it fail on? Chronicles of Elyria was incredibly ambitious, and it quickly became evident that it could not be solely financed through crowdfunding. The mind behind the game – Jeromy Walsh – seemed to want to use the funds primarily to finance a prototype to attract investors and publishers who should provide financial security.
However, the plan failed; he could not find any investors.
On March 20, 2020, a pre-alpha of the game was released, which shocked many fans: It bore no resemblance to the described vision of a great MMORPG. In hindsight, the pre-alpha was likely a last desperate attempt to convince anyone of the project.
Also in 2020, Walsh announced the closure of the MMORPG. However, the people who had invested money became angry and threatened legal action. Since then, the game has still officially been in development, but Walsh now does everything himself. He apparently wants to “somehow finish” a game, so he can get out of this situation.
