Stormgate, the StarCraft-like RTS that launched into early access in 2024 and hit 1.0 a year later, is ending support for online play at the end of April because Hathora, which provides server functionality for the game, has been purchased by an AI company. There’s a chance that online play could be restored at some point in the future, but for now developer Frost Giant Studios says it will patch Stormgate so it can be played offline.
Hathora announced in March that it had been acquired by Fireworks AI, and that its support for games like Stormgate would end on May 5. A partnership with GameFabric “to provide a clear migration path and hands-on support through the transition” was announced at the same time, but Stormgate apparently isn’t going to make that move.
One possible reason is that Stormgate isn’t seeing much action these days. We were quite taken by the game in its pre-release days, and there appeared to be a tremendous amount of support among long-suffering RTS fans too. A Kickstarter campaign drew nearly $2.8 million from backers—that’s on top of the $35 million in private funding Frost Giant had already secured from investors—and a subsequent investment opportunity raised another $1.2 million.
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Frost Giant said it hopes to restore online play at some point in the future, but that will require “finding a partner to support ongoing operations.” Given that Stormgate likely isn’t making much money these days, I have to imagine its options on that front are pretty limited.
The one bright spot amidst all of this is that promised offline patch: Online modes will no longer be available, which isn’t great for a game in which multiplayer figures so prominently, but Stormgate does offer a campaign and other solo modes, and those will remain. These days, that seems to be about the best you can ask for.
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