ChronoForge Ends Its Journey

A Surprising End to a Promising Web3 MMORPG

ChronoForge, once considered one of the more ambitious web3 MMORPG projects, will officially shut down all services on December 30, 2025. Minted Loot Studios confirmed the decision after a year marked by financial strain, stalled negotiations, and rapidly shrinking runway. Despite solid Early Access reception and a dedicated community, the project could not overcome a series of systemic challenges that have affected many blockchain games in recent years.

A Team Running on Personal Funds

In a public announcement on X, the ChronoForge team revealed that the studio had been operating on personal funds since July 2025, with only 20% of the original staff remaining. The game launched into Early Access on September 10 via the Epic Games Store and even earned an impressive 4.2 user rating. But the success did not translate into revenue, investment, or acquisition interest.

The team continued to push improvements and prepared for a potential token launch, yet none of these efforts generated the financial support needed to stay afloat. Blockchain rewards have already been suspended, though in-game purchases will remain available until the servers go dark at the end of the month.

Founder Shares the Full Story

Dogberto, the founder and CEO of both ChronoForge and Minted Loot Studios, published a full postmortem on Discord. He described 2025 as an especially difficult year—not only for traditional gaming but even more so for the web3 segment. Market demand dropped sharply, investor appetite dried up, and competition for surviving funding pools grew intense.

Since July, the remaining development team worked without pay. Multiple negotiations with publishers, VC firms, and blockchain networks collapsed, including deals with chains that backed out mid-process. Community support remained strong, but without fresh capital, the studio could not chart a sustainable future. There are currently no plans to shift to another project.

Why the Team Chose Not to Launch the $CHRONO Token

One of the biggest questions from the community was simple: Why not launch the token?Dogberto addressed this directly. The Rift Foundation—previous backers of the project—concluded that without a working, long-term game, the $CHRONO token would lack any meaningful utility. Launching it anyway would ultimately hurt players, a mistake seen in many rushed token launches across the blockchain gaming landscape.

The Foundation had also exhausted its own funds and could not support a token rollout. Instead, the team opted for what they described as an “ethical shutdown,” avoiding the risk of leaving holders with a worthless asset.

What Made ChronoForge Stand Out

ChronoForge wasn’t just another fantasy MMO—it blended steampunk aesthetics, time-travel mechanics, and community-driven world decisions. Built in Unreal Engine, the free-to-play title featured hack-and-slash gameplay, 12 combat classes, and a dynamic system where player choices could reshape the world itself.

A standout mechanic was the ChronoForge smelting facility. It granted temporary access to powerful gear but could also trigger a world-resetting apocalypse event if too many player-run Trading Companies activated their smelters at once. This added high-stakes governance, cooperation, and conflict—an element rarely seen in online RPGs.

NFTs were also deeply embedded in the game’s economy and progression, powering the Play & Earn leaderboard, Trading Company upgrades, and governance tools.

Missed Milestones and Limited Marketing Support

ChronoForge’s shutdown comes just months after its Early Access launch, but its struggles began much earlier. Several key milestones—like the migration to Abstract Chain and the Founder's Edition release—were ambitious steps toward long-term stability. Yet none of them generated the sustainable revenue the studio needed.

Marketing was a major bottleneck. With no budget for paid promotions, the team relied heavily on community programs, creator incentives, and partner chains. Unfortunately, platform support remained minimal, and the shift to Abstract Chain did not bring the expected user growth.

Technical Roadblocks and a Costly Rewrite

ChronoForge began with a modest $2 million budget and an external co-development partner. Over time, however, the team realized that the multiplayer codebase was not production-ready. This forced a massive rewrite—over 75% of systems had to be rebuilt by AAA-level engineers.

The rewrite consumed most of the remaining funds and pushed development back by more than a year. Worse, token launch preparations in April and November 2024 were halted due to last-minute multiplayer issues discovered in playtests. Although the final Early Access build was solid, investor confidence had already eroded.

A Tough Moment for Web3 Game Funding

ChronoForge’s struggles highlight a larger problem across the web3 gaming sector. After the crypto winter of 2022–2023 and the collapse of enforced royalties, roughly 90% of web3 projects disappeared. Funding in 2025 required fully polished, revenue-positive games—something few studios could deliver.

While ChronoForge raised $4.4 million in total, it fell far short of competitors like Fableborne, which secured nearly $18 million. Even as crypto markets rebounded in late 2025, token launch venues raised fees up to 5x and enforced stricter requirements. For mid-size teams, the barrier was simply too high.

Final Words from the Founder

In his farewell message, Dogberto thanked the community and acknowledged the emotional impact of shutting down a four-year project. He emphasized that every possible option was explored, but the broader web3 gaming model remains difficult for high-fidelity, high-cost productions.

ChronoForge’s servers will remain active until December 30, 2025. After that, all support, purchases, and services will come to an end. For many, it marks the loss of a promising title—as well as a sobering reminder of the challenges still facing blockchain games going into 2026.