After raising over $300,000, Kickstarter-funded JRPG love letter "is now on an indefinite pause" as studio closes down: "Know that we share your sorrow"

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"The video game industry is currently going through a crisis"

Alzara Radiant Echoes
(Image credit: Studio Camelia)

Indie JRPG tribute Alzara Radiant Echoes has been all but canceled and the developer that was making it, Studio Camelia, is shutting down.

The unexpected announcement was made this week on Twitter, reading, "We’re deeply saddened to announce the closure of Studio Camelia. More details can be found in the update shared with our backers. Thank you for your continued support from the very beginning. Take care."

A much more detailed explanation was shared to Alzara's Kickstarter campaign, which had managed to rack up nearly €300,000, the equivalent to about $330,000 USD, in funding before the game was canceled.

"This is part of the harsh reality of the industry. We are creatives, but we need funding to keep creating," it says. "Sometimes, even having a promising game concept with proven market interest and a strong team is not enough. Many say that every released game is a miracle, and that couldn’t be more true."

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

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