After a rough few weeks, Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen developer Visionary Realms has reversed course, canceling its planned 247 Extraction gameplay mode and returning to its full PvE MMORPG development. This is after fan outcry against the spin-off mode reached a fever pitch at the end of October, with this reversal coming thanks to that feedback.
Pantheon's developer Visionary Realms announced this morning to backers and fans of the indie MMORPG project, stating that the conversion from its 247 extraction mode back to PvE MMORPG will happen "immediately." For pre-alpha testers, Visionary Realms states that the testing will be made "available in the coming days, available around the clock to pledges with the Pre-Alpha access perk." For those with the Alpha pledge perk, 24-hour play sessions are coming sometime in December.
One major change coming from all this is the end of the Pre-Alpha verbal NDA. This doesn't mean that players will be able to stream or share screenshots or videos of their experience but will be able to talk about it at least - which is a start.
Visionary Realms admits that the team knew there might be some pushback, "uneasiness" as they call it, with regards to the 247 extraction mode. However, the statement acknowledges that the team has heard the backers loud and clear in this regard: they didn't back a spin-off, they backed an MMORPG.
"We knew there would be some uneasiness when we introduced a survival extraction testing mode, but we hoped that it would be an enjoyable, replayable experience that would provide critical data for development, and potentially some additional funding to accelerate delivery of the full MMO game. However, our hopes didn't line up with what you felt. The Pantheon community made it clear that the 247 test mode is not the reason they support us, and we need to listen to that. "
November 16th will see another Q&A live stream with the developers on its Discord, taking place at 5pm PT/8pm ET. The team states that the Q&A will be focused on the path the team sees using the PvE MMORPG to "achieve the goals we established for the extraction mode."
In case you missed it, the controversy surrounds an extraction gameplay mode that pre-alpha backers were given to test a few weeks back, with the studio telling those under NDA that testing on the MMORPG would be halted in favor of building this extraction gameplay loop. The idea was that it would allow the team to test features faster, implement changes for testing at a greater clip, but also develop something that could be used as a means to monetize the development helping make the MMORPG release at a faster pace.
To all adventurers. After listening to your feedback, we've decided to pivot away from our current survival extraction mode and bring back the Pre-Alpha version of the MMORPG full-time. In addition, we're currently planning on limited Alpha pledge sessions by the end of the…
— Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen (@PantheonMMO) November 14, 2023
However, the community was not happy about this, and the letter leaked to multiple MMO-focused sites (ours included). As a result, the Pantheon team confirmed the extraction spin-off mode in a long post to the Pantheon community, a Discord Q&A and more. Just last week, the team touted the progress they've made in the pre-alpha development as a result of the data they are receiving from the 247 testing, as well as the new art direction announced earlier this fall.
It seems, though, that the community was not appeased, with Visionary Realms acknowledging that they have damaged the trust they have with the Pantheon community.
"We understand that for many of you, we have damaged your trust. That’s on us. For those who will give us the opportunity to rebuild that trust, we thank you. For those who are not yet ready to believe in us or the project again, we understand, and hope we can earn back your support in the future. "
