Darkhaven's kickstarter plagued by fraud, echoes of past failure
The revival of a classic RPG dream has hit a significant snag. Darkhaven, the project spearheaded by Phil Shenk, a key artist from Diablo II, is battling a wave of fraudulent donations on Kickstarter, resurrecting anxieties about a similar, disastrous crowdfunding campaign from years prior. The situation raises serious questions about the viability of the project and the security of crowdfunding platforms.
Kickstarter chaos: $65,000 vanishes
Moon Beast Productions, Shenk's studio, confirmed a staggering $65,000 of the Kickstarter funds are believed to be from fraudulent sources. This isn’t a minor setback; Kickstarter has presented the team with a stark choice: absorb the loss and proceed, or cancel the campaign and relaunch later. The decision underscores the precarious position the studio finds itself in, fighting not just development challenges but also a concerted effort to undermine their funding drive.
Shenk remains resolute, reaffirming his commitment to delivering “the best possible experience” to players. However, the incident has understandably shaken existing backers, creating a palpable division between those willing to gamble on the project's continuation and those advocating for a fresh start. The sheer scale of the fraudulent activity highlights the vulnerabilities inherent in open crowdfunding models.
A shadow from the past: the original darkhaven debacle
But the current woes are not isolated. The Darkhaven name carries a heavy burden of history. Back in 2017, a different Darkhaven project, led by Michael Monks and developed by Hidden Achievement, raised over $640,000 on Kickstarter promising a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy Tactics. What followed was a protracted silence. Updates ceased, the studio’s website vanished, and communication with backers dried up entirely, leaving many convinced of a deliberate scam. Recovering funds proved virtually impossible due to the passage of time.
The parallels between the two Darkhaven projects are unsettling, despite their dissimilarities in narrative and concept. The echoes of the previous failure cast a long shadow over Shenk’s endeavor, fueling skepticism and prompting many to draw uncomfortable comparisons. The current situation isn't merely a technical glitch; it’s a test of trust in the crowdfunding ecosystem.
Blizzard's arpg push & the competition
The timing is particularly poignant. Blizzard’s recent foray into the ARPG genre with its own reimagining of the Diablo formula has intensified competition in a landscape once dominated by the classics. Shenk’s Darkhaven, initially presented as a nostalgic return to form, now faces the added hurdle of proving its legitimacy amidst the specter of past failures. Moon Beast Productions has yet to announce its decision regarding the Kickstarter campaign, stating they are taking “a few more days to consider the best course of action.”
The question hanging in the balance isn't just about the future of Darkhaven, but about the broader implications for crowdfunding and the trust placed in developers promising to resurrect beloved genres.