The journey of Ashes of Creation started on Kickstarter before the MMORPG was even properly developed. An MMORPG wants to do it differently this time and only dares to go on the platform when there is something to show.
Which MMORPG is it? With Epitome, a new MMORPG has launched on Kickstarter for funding on Friday, January 30, 2026. The platform where the recently failed Ashes of Creation also started offers crowdfunding to projects, allowing them to receive money from individuals instead of corporations. In just 44 hours, more than €100,000 has already been raised for the new MMORPG on Kickstarter.
However, unlike the campaign of Ashes of Creation at that time, the developers of Epitome are already showcasing a playable core version that all supporters can try out. The current state of development is not being hidden by the devs.
Here you can watch the trailer for the MMORPG:
The framework is set
How far is the MMORPG? Before going public with Epitome, the developers wanted to deliver a playable version first. This is supposed to cover all the important core functions of their MMORPG, which they primarily want to build content upon using crowdfunding.
According to the developers on Kickstarter, there are already servers with a capacity for 33,000 players, AI NPCs that populate the world and pursue their own missions and goals, an anti-cheat system, and four playable classes, each of which offers an additional 2 expansion classes.
Those who support Epitome today are not faced with an empty shell. Although many content elements are still missing, there is supposed to be a map available with over 30 different enemies and more than 160 equipment items.
The foundation of content is intended to provide a broad insight into the MMORPG to convey to players how systems should look later. In this respect, Epitome is a step ahead of Ashes of Creation, as the MMORPG generally focused on building individual features instead of shaping the game as a whole.
Where does the MMORPG want to go? Since the foundation is already in place, it can be seen where the MMORPG aims to go. It strongly resembles the popular Metin2 in Germany and thus emphasizes a sandbox with dynamic quests.
The individual classes have only a few abilities, while the character primarily attacks with the standard attack. Similar to Metin2, there are hundreds of healing and mana potions that keep you alive while grinding. There is even a kind of Metin stone that spawns enemies upon an attack.
However, the MMORPG wants to be more than just a copy of the nearly 20-year-old Metin2. The developers heavily focus on the MMO factor in the game and provide not only a guild system but also a faction system, a leaderboard, and dozens of other social features.
Additionally, the graphics, thanks to Unreal Engine 5, are up to date and do not appear outdated in gameplay videos and trailers.
Epitome is expected to be free to play on Steam after the official launch. However, those who want access earlier will not escape the donation on Kickstarter. 2026 already seems like the year of hidden gems after just one month: New MMORPG on Steam is being developed by 100 people and is expected to be playable in 2026
