In his latest Founders' Update, Crowfall Executive Producer Gordon Walton confirmed the recent report of layoffs on the team, while also detailing what's in the works for the game.
Regarding the layoffs, he says that "we lost some teammates as we shifted from launch mode to a live service operation". This is indeed something that we do see often in development, especially post-launch. MMOs and other live service operations do see team sizes shift, and fortunately, there are still things coming for Crowfall.
The update also mentions the changes that affect the ability to get in and find PVP action. The team introduced cross-region global server access to The Dregs and The Shadow. This means that everyone will fight alongside those from other regions and, importantly, time zones. This should help with population balancing and some of the issues with finding PVP campaigns or sieges when. Not easy to find a fight if the other half of the world is asleep. To support this, there are also increased rewards for both playing and winning.
Walton also details some of the work in progress, including improvements to the chat system, campaign reward requirement and group loot changes, all of which are now under community review. Further down the line, there will be map, and combat improvements, and some possible tweaks to campaign rules.
There are also some promotional events, including special loot for tuning into Crowfall Twitch streams. From September 13-19, watching an hour of Crowfall from an affiliate streamer will earn you a dark blooded Hellcat. And watching from Sept 20-30 brings a Sentinel’s Steed of Cybele. ArtCraft has also extended the Crow Recruits buddy referral program through October 31st. Inviting a friend through this program will net you some rewards, and them 10 free play days, and a 25% discount off the game.
