Stormgate's Steam early access launch has sparked a mixed reaction from fans and Kickstarter backers. Let's examine the issues raised and the game's current state.
Stormgate's Rocky Launch: Backer Backlash and Mixed Reviews
Intended as a spiritual successor to StarCraft II, Stormgate, which successfully secured over $2.3 million on Kickstarter despite a $35 million initial funding goal, is facing criticism. Backers who pledged $60 for the "Ultimate" bundle feel misled, believing their pledge guaranteed full early access content—a promise seemingly unmet.
Many backers supported Frost Giant Studios' passion project, contributing to its development. While advertised as free-to-play with microtransactions, the aggressive monetization model has disappointed many. A single campaign chapter (three missions) costs $10, and individual co-op characters cost the same—double the price of StarCraft II's equivalent. Many backers, having invested $60 or more, expected complete early access to the game's content. The addition of a new character, Warz, on launch day, excluded from Kickstarter rewards, further fueled their frustration.
"You can take the developer out of Blizzard, but you can’t take Blizzard out of the developer," commented Steam user Aztraeuz, highlighting the irony of the situation. "Many of us supported this game because we wanted to see it succeed. A lot of us are hundreds of dollars deep into this game already. Why are there pre-day 1 microtransactions that we don’t own?"
Frost Giant Studios responded on Steam, acknowledging the misunderstanding and thanking players for their support. While claiming to have clarified Kickstarter bundle content, they admitted many backers expected the "Ultimate" bundle to encompass all early access gameplay. As a compromise, they offered the next paid Hero free to all backers who pledged at the "Ultimate Founder’s Pack tier and above," excluding Warz, citing prior purchases by many backers.
Despite this, significant frustration remains regarding the monetization and underlying gameplay issues.
Frost Giant Addresses Feedback Following Early Access Launch
Stormgate carries considerable expectations, developed by StarCraft II veterans. While the core RTS gameplay shows potential, criticisms include aggressive monetization, unclear visuals, missing campaign features, underwhelming unit interactions, and an unchallenging AI.
These issues have resulted in a "Mixed" Steam rating, with some labeling it "StarCraft II at home." Despite these flaws, the game's potential for improvement in areas like story and visuals remains.
For a detailed review of Stormgate's Early Access, please see our full review.
