Project on hiatus following crypto market crash, public backers won’t receive refunds.
Untamed Isles, a Pokemon-like MMORPG with “optional” play-to-earn elements, has been placed on indefinite hiatus.
“There’s been a lot going on in the last 72 hours.
Development on Untamed Isles started over two years ago at New Zealand-based indie Company Phat Loot Studios.
More than 70 people were brought on, all of whom will be let go in under two weeks.
Grant admitted that the amount of funding needed was “massively underestimated”.
Development on Untamed Isles could not have been funded through Kickstarter solely.
Untamed Isles is intrinscally intertwined with cryptocurrency and blockchain, which attracted many crypto investors to the project.
When exactly this will be, nobody knows.
At first glance, it isn’t clear that the game has relations to blockchain technology.
The first mention of the play-to-earn elements on Kickstarter is about 3/5ths down the campaign description.
(The assets in question here being tokenised versions of players' creatures.)
And Grant also seems passionate about using blockchain.
Many in the game’s community say they feel scammed and lied to.
“I’d be sitting here telling you it’s over,” he concluded.
No acknowledgement was made by Grant of how Phat Loot was unclear with its blockchain intentions.
Stix, a YouTuber who runs the MMOByte channel, had this precise issue with the game.
Recommended to him by some of his viewers, Stix posted a video praising the game on20th July.
Untamed Isles also lost any traction it had gained with influencers.
Grant blamed this exodus on a tweet from Wolfey.
Grant claimed the game had 50 pre-sales, whereas the company had hoped for between two to three thousand.
Backers on Kickstarter however, will not be receiving refunds.
Backers are furious, having paid for development of a game that is now in indefinite limbo.
Many backers feel the statement from Phat Loot is tone-deaf.
Finally, he vowed to do everything in his power to ensure the game does eventually release.
“Have faith in me, have faith in the project,” he asked.
