On March 24th I posted a “State of Elyria” update for our game, Chronicles of Elyria, to our blog. In that post, I informed our community that, due to the under-performance of our recent Settlers of Elyria event and the economic impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I had made the hard decision to lay off staff and suspend development. However, it was my aim to leave the blog post with a message of hope that we could find a way to secure additional funding, honor your pledge package rewards, and deliver the game we promised.
In retrospect, I understand that the message might have been interpreted in many ways, for which I take full responsibility. To correct any misunderstandings going forward, let me clarify the status of Chronicles of Elyria.
Game development is a challenging endeavor, even under the best of circumstances. Working on a project as ambitious as ours, while requiring on-going backer-supported funding at the same time, makes it even more demanding. Over the course of this project, our financing has fluctuated greatly, but I have always tried to keep my amazing team of programmers and artists motivated and employed. This has always been a priority because it is the best way to deliver the kind of product we have promised.
The March 24th statement was ultimately born out of a concern for the development team and their opportunity to secure alternative paying work as quickly as possible, as well as an awareness of our community’s need to prioritize secure food and shelter during this time instead of additional contributions to an in-development game. It also came from a very emotional place, as I am invested in Chronicles of Elyria as much as anyone. But, at the time, I couldn’t yet see how to move forward.
It was never my intent to permanently end the development of the game, disregard your contributions, or fail to deliver what we promised. In fact, several of the team members have agreed to continue development while I find solutions. I and a team of advisers are currently investigating other sources of funding and hope to have more concrete news for you soon. In the coming days, I’ll be posting a more detailed FAQ and will strive to be more transparent and clear in my communication as I work through possible ways forward. I humbly ask for your patience as I begin the process of rebuilding your trust.
Sincerely,
Jeromy Walsh, CEO & Founder
Soulbound Studios, LLC
