Blockchain Company Buying Game Studios (including Phoenix Labs) and/or Closing Them or Cancelling In-Dev Projects
A new article with former Phoenix Labs and Rumble Games employees going into detail about Forte and their secrecy in buying game studios and halting or cancelling in-development projects, including Everhaven. A necessary read to better understand what kind of company Forte is and how sketchy they are while having ownership of games and companies they acquired.
Former employees of Phoenix Labs and Rumble Games say they were told to keep blockchain platform Forte Labs' purchase of their employers an
Former employees were not informed about their companies being bought by Forte, a blockchain company. And Forte told the employees they couldn't tell anyone outside the companies about the purchase via NDAs. New employees who applied for Phoenix Labs weren't allowed to know that the studio was owned by a blockchain company. It turns out that Forte has been quietly funding and purchasing game studios with the intent of producing games it could integrate on its own blockchain platform. And Phoenix Labs and Rumble Games might not be the only studios bought by Forte...
The closure of Rumble Games, the developer of Towers & Titans, was because Forte didn't see the studio's projects not ultimately aligning with the company's direction. Any studio acquired by Forte is in danger, including Phoenix Labs if Forte can't find any further use for them.
Forte had initially allowed Phoenix Labs to look for publishers who could buy Everhaven and their other projects still in-development, but Forte backtracked and laid off the development teams. Former staff mentioned Forte wanted blockchain tech to be implemented into Everhaven.
Around August 2024, Forte shut down the servers hosting builds of Everhaven. A Forte PR spokesperson mentioned the company isn't currently seeking new partners or funding on paused projects; but Phoenix is focusing on Fae Farm and Dauntless, likely trying to figure out how implement their blockchain tech into the games.
More details are in the link embedded above.
The fact that Forte mentioned they're currently not looking for new partners or funding on paused projects hint at a sign that if fans of Everhaven keep pushing for Forte to sell and/or release the game at its core form, they might be able to save it. We have to keep trying, we have to keep letting our voices heard: BringBackProjectDragon!
