Blockchain MMORPG Ember Sword has been shut down by its creator, several years after it received more than $200 million in pledges for virtual plots of land. The multiplayer game, which promised a world filled with PvE and PvP activities featuring "no pay-to-win," and employed its own cryptocurrency token as a way to trade for cosmetic items that were treated as NFTs, has now been taken offline.
The Ember Sword developer Bright Star Studios saw a collective $203 million pledged in a virtual land sale that had community applications made for nearly 35,000 plots (via MMORPG.com). Early access then began in November 2024.
Now, visiting the game's website leads you to a statement confirming the end of Ember Sword's development. "This is one of the hardest announcements we've ever had to make," the studio writes. "Back in December, we shared how we were fighting to keep Ember Sword moving forward despite the challenges. Many of you have been patiently waiting for an update, and while this isn't the news we hoped to deliver, it's important we share it now."
Bright Star says that "Thanks to the incredible team here, and your , we got further than many ever thought we could." However, it explains that "Despite strong early , promising early-access player stats, and a ionate community, we were ultimately able to secure the funding needed to continue. We explored every possible way forward. But in today's market – where even some of the most promising projects are shutting down – we couldn't find a path to keep building.
"Our journey, and the servers, will go offline. As part of this, Discord channels will also be closed to avoid confusion or scams." In conclusion, the team says, "This isn't the ending any of us wanted. But we want to sincerely thank you for being here, for believing in this vision, and for helping make Ember Sword something we'll never forget."
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