The MOBA Dawngate from Electronic Arts failed already in 2014. But fans wanted to bring the game back. After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the game could relaunch, if EA participates.
What have the fans achieved? A group of players who loved the MOBA Dawngate has set itself the goal of bringing it back. This is to allow everyone to play again. However, first, the interest of the community had to be checked. For this, a Kickstarter campaign was launched. If this is successful, it would be proof that Dawngate could be successful.
Through the crowdfunding campaign, the team managed to raise $99,100. It is now certain: Dawngate is returning.
A MOBA that just couldn’t take off
What is Dawngate anyway? The MOBA from Electronic Arts started in May 2013 in a testing phase. Back then it became clear that not enough players showed interest, which is why the servers were shut down in November 2014. Back then, the situation around MOBAs was difficult, the market was divided.
Basically, it was a classic MOBA in the style of League of Legends. Five players picked heroes with different abilities to destroy the opponent’s Nexus on the maps with two lanes and claim victory.
Interesting was the jungle, which was located around the lanes. This could be used as a shortcut. Therefore, it was necessary to keep an eye on not only the lanes but also the jungle.
Also exciting was that the heroes – known here as Shapers – could use their abilities without consuming resources. This made the game play a bit easier than the competition.
How did it achieve success now? Already in June 2020, fans of Dawngate contacted EA to negotiate about a licensing agreement. The team, which calls itself Studio Wayfinder, stated on the Kickstarter page that they were able to achieve an informal agreement with EA and were allowed to start the Kickstarter campaign.
Wayfinder does not just want to bring Dawngate back. The team wants to modernize the game. Features such as
- Group chat
- Ranked matches
- Custom games
and more are to be added.
Furthermore, the storyline and the world are to be further expanded.
Apparently, this appeals to some players. Because 1,219 backers participated in the Kickstarter campaign. Among them, especially fans of Dawngate who were disappointed by the shutdown of the game in 2014.
Is the game really coming? The team stated that they only have an informal commitment from EA regarding the licensing of Dawngate. It is therefore not 100% certain whether this will actually work out. If the licensing ultimately fails, the team wants to release the game under the name Shrine of Imanna.
Due to the uncertain situation, the team expects that the release will not be until the end of 2024.
Dawngate is one of several MOBAs that have been discontinued over time. We introduce it to you along with the other seven in an article.
