Studio Camelia Closes Following €300,000 Kickstarter Success for JRPG

Studio Camelia, a French video game development studio, has announced its closure just a year after successfully raising nearly €300,000 ($347,000) on Kickstarter for its role-playing game (RPG) titled Alzara Radiant Echoes. The studio confirmed this decision in an update to its backers, citing an inability to secure additional funding as the key driver behind its liquidation process, which began on April 28, 2025.

Founded in 2022, Studio Camelia gained significant attention in 2024, when Alzara Radiant Echoes became one of the most-backed video game projects on Kickstarter, surpassing its original funding goal of €100,000 by over 200%. The campaign attracted more than 5,000 backers, showcasing a strong market interest in the project. However, despite this initial success, the studio struggled to secure the remaining funds required to complete the game, which it had hoped to obtain through partnerships with industry investors.

In their statement, the studio's team expressed frustration over the current state of the video game industry, noting that many studios have been forced to shut down due to a lack of funding. "Over 20,000 workers have lost their jobs in the sector, and investors are now hesitant to take risks, which has made it challenging for projects like ours to secure the necessary financial backing," the statement read.

Dr. Emily Tran, a professor of Game Development at the University of Southern California, highlighted the broader context of the gaming industry's financial crisis. "The economic landscape for game development has become increasingly precarious, particularly for independent studios. The combination of rising production costs and investor hesitance creates a perfect storm for project cancellations and closures," Dr. Tran stated in an interview on June 15, 2025.

The studio attempted to mitigate perceived financial risks by leveraging its successful Kickstarter campaign to attract further investments. However, discussions with potential partners at major industry events such as the Tokyo Game Show and DICE did not yield any contracts, despite the studio presenting a playable demo and having half of the funding already secured.

"It is disheartening to see a project with such promise fail to materialize, particularly after the community's support on Kickstarter," said David Chen, CEO of Indiegogo, a crowdfunding platform that also focuses on creative projects. "Crowdfunding can be an effective tool, but it does not guarantee long-term sustainability without continued financial support from industry stakeholders."

Studio Camelia's situation reflects a troubling trend in the gaming industry, where even well-funded projects can falter due to the volatile nature of financial backing. The studio has officially placed Alzara Radiant Echoes on an 'indefinite pause,' and there are no current plans for its revival absent third-party intervention.

Moreover, backers of the project, including some who pledged up to €800 for premium rewards, will not be able to claim refunds, which raises ethical questions about the responsibilities of crowdfunding platforms and developers in the event of project failure.

As the gaming industry faces an uncertain future, the story of Studio Camelia serves as a cautionary tale for emerging studios and investors alike. With a growing number of independent game developers vying for funding in a saturated market, the challenges of sustaining innovative projects remain a significant hurdle. The implications of this closure extend beyond the studio itself, reflecting systemic issues that may continue to affect the industry at large in the coming years.