The team behind the viral hit “Stardew Valley Meets Skyrim,” Hawthorn, is “developing this game since [their] personal pockets”.
Earlier this month we reported that several former developers from studios like Bethesda, BioWare, and Naughty Dog had teamed up to develop the eye-catching Hawthorn, which you can check out below:
Despite appearing thousands However, among the wish lists, Near Studios co-founder and CEO Heather Cerlan has revealed that despite the fervent interest in her game, the dozen developers responsible for bringing Hawthorn to life are still not paid because the study has no funding. .
“The fact that we are developing this game out of our personal pocket was completely lost,” Cerlan told Agency. “We have the ambitions and the visions, but we don't have the funding yet.”
Near Studios was founded in 2022, but after a desperate family tragedy, Cerlan's plans were derailed and the team lost two of its original co-founders: one “due to a disagreement in management; the other because he was unable to get out of a previous situation “. contract.” He then contacted former Bethesda co-worker Jason Richardson, who “had been envisioning Hawthorn for many years.”
However, this delay meant that the team was looking for financial backing when funding for indie games had almost dried up. But while Cerlan said he tried, and failed, to get financing for the project through most of 2024, the team remains “pretty determined to bring this to market one way or another.” If funding can't be found, Cerlan said the studio is considering a KickStarter campaign.
“I had a general idea for a game, but it was never about the game,” Cerlan said. “It was about building a culture, building a team that I was essentially excited to retire from.
“Now we are focusing on the game and the community. Our hope is that everything else will come.”