Crowfall going offline later this month so developer ArtCraft can regroup

Crowfall developer ArtCraft is taking the MMO offline less than two years after it launched so it can chart a new path forward.

The title, pitched by ArtCraft as an "online Throne War" that features siege wars, factional battles, and PvP skirmishes, released in July 2021 after raising over $1.7 million through Kickstarter to finance development.

ArtCraft also secured $11.7 million in January 2020 to prepare for Crowfall's large-scale beta and eventual launch. The title was then purchased by publisher Monumental in December 2021, which pledged to expand the MMO with a "long-term development roadmap."

Now, less than a year after that deal closed, ArtCraft has told players Crowfall will be put on ice to allow the development team to "refocus our efforts from live operations to development."

"We have decided to take the Crowfall live service offline for the time being. On November 22, 2022, at 11 AM CST Crowfall will go dark, and the game servers will be unavailable. Until the service goes offline, take this time to try out all of the cool buildings, mounts, and emotes for free in the Crowfall store," reads a post on the ArtCraft website.

The Texas-based studio explained that one of the biggest challenges it has faced in recent months has been the "sheer amount of development effort required to build new campaigns and keep the game running daily," so it seems the company is eager to provide itself with some much needed breathing room.

"We're going to use this time to map out the future of the game," continues the post. "We have yet to determine what that looks like, but we are investing in and rethinking every part of the game – from the core technology and tools to art, design, and gameplay. Nothing is off the table."

ArtCraft has pledged to share its plan with the Crowfall community as it takes shape, but there's currently no word on when players will be able to dive back into the MMO.