We remain in the third year of ongoing industry layoffs and studio closures. While the face of these layoffs have been mostly the industry giants, like Embracer Group, PlayStation, EA, and Microsoft, as you are about to see shortly, it’s really symptomatic of issues facing the video game industry as a whole.
Alzara Radiant Echoes is like many other Kickstarter projects. A new unknown game developer name Studio Camelia makes a pitch for a new IP, but one that pays homage/ copies a classic video game genre, possibly from a franchise that hasn’t seen a new release in years, and announced for PC and consoles. This is the description Studio Camelia provided on their Kickstarter page:
ALZARA Radiant Echoes is a turn-based JRPG that draws inspiration from beloved classics of the genre, including Golden Sun and Final Fantasy X. Set in a fantastical world where the power of the four elements intertwines with themes of camaraderie and unity, you will embark on an epic journey alongside Kayla and her allies. Together, they wield elemental magic, seamlessly combining their abilities to unleash awe-inspiring new forces.
From a base goal of € 100,000, they were able to fund a total of € 294,428 from 5,089 backers. They celebrated the end of their initial fundraising period last June 15, 2024.
Unfortunately, on June 17, 2025, nearly exactly one year later, they revealed the shocking news that the studio is closing. In fact, they already declared liquidation on April 28, 2025. But to understand how they got there, they also disclosed the studio’s and it’s game’s full history.
Alzara Radiant Echoes informally started development in 2021, with Studio Camelia being officially created in May 2022. They managed to get into Microsoft’s Acceleration Program, which meant that half of the game’s total development was already covered.
But then, in Studio Camelia’s own words:
However, as you know, the video game industry is currently going through a crisis. Many studios have been forced to close due to lack of funding, and over 20,000 workers have lost their jobs. Investors are now operating in a market where taking risks is discouraged, and they can afford to wait before committing to a project in order to reduce risk.
As you may imagine, Studio Camelia didn’t set out to use Kickstarter to complete funding of their game, the full amount of which seems to have been considerably much higher. Instead, it was intended to demonstrate that there was a lot of interest in their game.
Studio Camelia used that money to make a demo to bring to publishers, in events like Tokyo Game Show and DICE. Unfortunately, in the end, they just didn’t find a partner willing to take them on.
Studio Camelia also stated that there is a slim chance that a third party could take over the project, but that’s basically related to their liquidation. Under European laws, liquidation entails selling a company’s assets to pay off their debts. Studio Camelia would be alluding to the possibility that whoever buys Alzara Radiant Echoes would want to finish the game themselves.
As ResetERA member Blizz pointed out, Studio Camelia was not transparent about Alzara Radiant Echoes’ full production costs. It’s also not clear if this liquidation will lead to Kickstarter backers getting refunded, as this is a possibility, but probably something they can’t promise. But of course, by the very nature of liquidation, Studio Camelia can’t share a demo since that would consist of the same assets they’re selling off to pay their debts.
While this is certainly not the first Kickstarter game to fail, even after getting fully funded, Studio Camelia may have been the first to openly connect their project’s failure to the current state of the video game industry. Again, to let them have the final word:
This is part of the harsh reality of the industry. We are creatives, but we need funding to keep creating. Sometimes, even having a promising game concept with proven market interest and a strong team is not enough. Many say that every released game is a miracle, and that couldn’t be more true.
We wish the best for the staff at Studio Camelia, and hope they can find a way to make video games again, one way or another. You can watch a pre-production video Studio Camelia can share below.
