Since the sudden end of Ashes of Creation, players have also been wondering: “How is the development of a new MMORPG funded?” Behind Scars of Honor, there was a big question mark for a long time regarding this. So we just asked and received an answer!
What did we already know about the funding of Scars of Honor? An important source is the timeline that developer Beast Burst Entertainment published last year during the Kickstarter campaign for Scars of Honor. From this, one could infer, among other things:
- In just a few years, the studio has visibly grown. It started with Venelin Vasilev as a solo developer, who wanted to fulfill his dream of creating an MMORPG as a big genre fan. Meanwhile, there are offices in several countries, and the team size has grown to over 100 creatives.
- The timeline mentions 2 successful investment rounds: In November 2020, $250,000 was raised, and in September 2021, even $2.3 million. That’s a nice sum, but it’s not enough to finance an MMORPG like Scars of Honor and a team of now 100 developers.
- At times, the team sold supporter packs, which provided early access to playtests – these are no longer available today. Additionally, there were plans according to the Kickstarter campaign to generate more money through merchandise sales.
- The campaign itself was not successful and only raised €29,822 of the targeted €175,215.
Putting all this information together, the only conclusion remains: There must have been more funding from other sources, otherwise Scars of Honor would have been on the MMO graveyard for years. During our Grindfest theme week, I asked the responsible parties about this, and received an answer!
The dream of having your own MMORPG lives thanks to just one investor
What have the developers revealed? They first clarified that the fate of Scars of Honor has never depended on the success of the Kickstarter campaign. The funding is secured. However, a successful Kickstarter would have created more visibility and signaled strongly to potential partners.
According to Beast Burst Entertainment, the funding for the MMORPG is secured due to a single investor, who has regularly invested further money into the project alongside the two amounts from November 2020 and September 2021.
One thing I want to clarify regarding the investment timeline on the Kickstarter page, as it can be somewhat misleading. The entries for 2020 and 2021 did not mean that new investors joined the project, or that this was the last and final investment we received.
The funding has always been provided in stages by the same investor and not in one go. As the project grows, the team expands, and the development requirements change, we evaluate the need and receive additional investments accordingly.
This process has continued every year to date. As of today, we are in a good position and are fully focused on delivering Scars of Honor. At the same time, we continue to explore additional investment opportunities as most studios do. Not because the project depends on them, but because extra resources can accelerate development and help us deliver an even better game for our players.
Big Burst Entertainment to MeinMMO
By the way, the final release of Scars of Honor is expected to be a free-to-play MMORPG that will be financed solely through a shop and the sale of cosmetic items. They want to avoid any form of pay-to-win or pay-to-progress. The first major playtest on Steam in May will be followed by more in the coming months. Early access could follow in 2027, but there is no fixed date yet.
The troublesome topic of money: The development of MMORPGs is notoriously expensive, and many projects fail to raise enough money to cross the finish line. This fate befalls not only inexperienced teams but also seasoned veterans with successful titles in their resumes, playable prototypes, and clear visions, such as:
It was also terrible what came to light in February 2026 with Ashes of Creation. Despite all promises that the MMORPG would be financed entirely independently of external investors, Steven Sharif had demonstrably brought more and more investors on board over the years – until they exerted noticeable influence on the project and ultimately brought everything crashing down.
Therefore, we keep our fingers crossed for Scars of Honor that the one investor does not run out of steam (or money) over time.
What do I need to know about the MMORPG? Scars of Honor is an exciting MMORPG project that at first glance resembles World of Warcraft in various areas (colorful comic look, the 2 factions, classes and races), but also brings some peculiarities with it. These include the extensive class talent trees and the namesake Scars system. A more detailed description of the game can be found here: Scars of Honor could become the perfect MMORPG for anyone looking for an alternative to World of Warcraft
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!