Tiny MMO Book Of Travels developers lay off staff after difficult launch
"In order to stay alive, we have been forced to cut down our team from around 35 people to 10 people"
Book Of Travels is what developers Might And Delight call a TMORPG - a "tiny" multiplayer online role playing game, as opposed to a "massive" one. It's a gorgeous-looking adventure that came out in early access back in October, but unfortunately the launch didn't go as well as the devs had hoped it would. Yesterday, they announced that they've had to lay off around 25 employees to keep the studio going. They add that development will continue, albeit at an understandably slower pace.
"In light of the launch not going quite as well as we had hoped, we have had to make some rather big, and difficult, cutbacks to our beloved team," Might And Delight say. "In order to stay alive, we have been forced to cut down our team from around 35 people to 10 people. Saying goodbye to so many skilled, trusted and loved Might and Delighters has been, without a shadow of a doubt, our most difficult test in our 11 year history.
"We have suffered a setback and as a result the production pace of coming content WILL be affected. We want to be transparent regarding that. However, we also want you to know that the team that remains is determined and hell bent on two things: surviving and bringing the best possible content to the game. We will do whatever it takes to keep Book of Travels going, and continue to bring it and the company forward together with you."
It's always a little heartbreaking to hear a small but lovely game like Book Of Travels and its developers are struggling. Lauren Morton was a big fan of the tiny MMO, and thought it might restore her faith in the genre after she interviewed creative director Jakob Tuchten.
"Book Of Travels is coy, if anything, drawing me in with a myriad of possible secrets that I have yet to see through," she wrote. "As a former resident of Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, The Elder Scrolls Online, and a brief vacationer to Final Fantasy XIV and Black Desert, it's the unknown that attracts me.
"I believe Tuchten understands, and maybe relates to, why I've broken up with MMOs, which is why I have faith (and even ten hours in, it is still faith) that Book Of Travels is the match I'd been waiting for."
If you'd like to help the studio stay afloat, you can buy Book Of Travels on Steam for £24/€25/$30. Might And Delight have also released a DLC named Cup Of Kindness that doesn't give you anything, but acts as a small donation to the devs. It only costs £2/$2/€2, and is a nice way to support them if you're enjoying the game so far.