Ember Sword is a new MMORPG that aims to build on classic games like Ultima Online and RuneScape. The focus is on economy, crafting, and PvP. Players can also own land and earn taxes from it. Even before the alpha launch, you can secure a property now – for 54 to 145,000 Euros.
What kind of game is this? Ember Sword will be free-to-play and uses an isometric perspective like Lost Ark or RuneScape. The developers promise a lot of freedom, allowing you to explore the colorful game world in your own way.
- There are no classes; instead, players progress through various skills.
- Crafting is supposed to play a significant role and be tightly woven into the economy.
- You can own land and build houses or even entire cities on it.
- There will be PvP in the open world.
- Loot boxes and pay-to-win will be avoided.
- Thanks to blockchain technology, you should truly own items and be able to trade them for cryptocurrency.
What’s the deal with the land rush? An important aspect of the new MMORPG is owning land. You can build a house there, set up a shop to sell things, or even control an entire city to generate tax revenue.
This land is now being sold for partially extremely high sums in cryptocurrency under time pressure. The crazy thing is: Even when Ember Sword starts its alpha, the developers say you will “very likely” not have access to your land. That will only happen at release.
Cities cost at least 108,000 Euros and will keep getting more expensive
How much does a property in Ember Sword cost? Ember Sword sells the properties using the cryptocurrency USD Coin. One USDC is roughly equivalent to one dollar and is regarded as a “stable cryptocurrency” (via CoinMarketCap).
The sale starts on July 31 with a discount promotion. During this, you will get the land a bit cheaper. There are four different options to choose from:
- A small 1×1 lot for a house costs 54 Euros in the sale and 72 Euros afterward.
- A slightly larger settlement with a house and your own shop costs 540 and 720 Euros after the sale.
- A small town with space for several buildings costs 10,800 and 14,500 Euros after the sale.
- A large town costs 108,000 in the sale and 145,000 Euros later.
By the way, the prices have gone up significantly compared to 2021. Back then, a small lot only cost 32.30 and a city 67,500 Euros.
Why would anyone spend so much money? The developers promote that you can influence the game’s world and even commission your own quests as the owner of a city. However, the real core will lie in the sales fees.
Because in Ember Sword, transactions are conducted using tokens that you can buy for real money. Each transaction between players incurs a 7% fee, which is split 50% between the developers and the respective city owner.
So if a seller makes 100 dollars, the city owner will receive 3.50 dollars.
When will the MMORPG be released? Ember Sword is expected to start alpha in 2023. The final launch is planned for mid-2024.
Cryptocurrencies and crowdfunding are risky
What should one keep in mind with such purchasing actions? There are often MMORPGs that finance themselves through crowdfunding before their release, whether through Kickstarter or by selling virtual items that don’t even exist yet. However, there is a risk of losing all the money.
A prominent negative example is Chronicles of Elyria, an MMORPG where the character was supposed to age and die:
- For a personal kingdom in the game, players could previously spend up to 10,000 dollars, even though it wasn’t even in the alpha stage yet.
- Over time, more and more virtual items were sold, including a completely virtual Advent calendar for 95 dollars.
- However, in 2020, the CEO first announced the end for the MMORPG and fired all employees. Although he still wants to finish the game alone, the progress is very minimal.
What do you think of Ember Sword? Could you enjoy an MMORPG where cryptocurrency and real money play such a big role?
