The Backstory Behind Hawthorn
The team working on the highly anticipated game Hawthorn, described as a blend of “Stardew Valley meets Skyrim,” is facing challenges as they continue to develop the game without any external funding.
Earlier, we highlighted the collaboration of former developers from renowned studios like Bethesda, BioWare, and Naughty Dog coming together to work on Hawthorn. Despite the buzz and interest surrounding the game, Near Studios’ co-founder and CEO, Heather Cerlan, disclosed that the team is funding the project out of their own pockets.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Cerlan emphasized, “The fact that we are developing this game from our personal pockets was completely lost. We have the ambitions and the visions; we don’t however have the funding yet.”
Established in 2022, Near Studios faced setbacks due to personal tragedies, causing the team to lose two co-founders. Cerlan then reached out to her former colleague, Jason Richardson from Bethesda, who shared a long-held vision for Hawthorn.
Despite their passion and determination, the team struggled to secure financial support in a challenging indie games funding landscape. Cerlan mentioned the possibility of turning to crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter if alternative funding sources are not viable.
Cerlan expressed, “I had a general idea for a game, but it was never about the game. It was about building a culture, building a team I was excited about essentially retiring at. Now we’re focusing on the game and the community. Our hope is everything else will come.”