Camelot Unchained beta delayed, maybe until next year
Crucial programming role filled then vacated days later.
The first planned beta test for Camelot Unchained has been delayed. It was due in August but an unforeseen hiccup means it now may not arrive until next year.
That unforeseen hiccup was a senior programmer from Riot Games joining the small team at City State Entertainment, then leaving two days later. Apparently he was offered "a life-changing opportunity" elsewhere, a disappointed Mark Jacobs, CSE leader, explained.
To Massively Overpowered, he added: "Yes, there is a chance that it will be delayed till next year. When you are working with a small team, the loss of a couple of people can make a huge difference, so it would be foolish for me to say that nothing bad could possibly happen over the next few months. On the other hand, things are moving along nicely for the team size we have, and we are pretty confident that we can get an awful lot done before the end of the year."
The good news is that even with a few delays, the project remains within budget and the team financially secure. CSE has also filled a different, equally crucial, senior programmer role (senior server engineer) but the person won't begin until September.
Nevertheless, Jacobs and CSE, as transparent as they try to be, recognise that some backers may be angry things aren't being delivered on time. That's why they are, and have been, offering refunds.
Crowdfunding continues on the Camelot Unchained website and the game's total now stands at $3,499,577. It raised $2,232,933 on Kickstarter. Jacobs, incidentally, pledged a personal $2m to the cause, which isn't included in the grand total. He is also going through a distressing time in his personal life, which he has shared with the CU community, as his wife undergoes surgery to battle cancer.
