Developer of free-to-play NFT-based RPG Gensokishi Online (the Web3-powered successor to the classic MMORPG Elemental Knights Online), Metap, announced on April 21 that it intends to transfer operational rights to Japanese company Hanabitei. This follows just two months after Metap revealed plans to shut down the game’s servers on April 30 due to financial challenges.
While it’s not uncommon for companies to acquire troubled live-service games, what makes this situation unique is that Hanabitei is a venture founded entirely by fans with the goal of preserving the game. Identified by their usernames Kurokage and Alamode, the two players and members of the in-game guild “Hanabitei” are currently taking legal steps to register their company as they prepare to inherit operational rights to Gensokishi Online.
According to Famitsu, Metap and Hanabitei are in discussions to finalize a formal contract, which is expected to be signed by early May. Once the agreement is in place, development will commence based on a newly crafted reboot plan aimed at optimizing operational costs and revenue. If all goes as planned, the game is projected to relaunch under Hanabitei sometime between August and September of this year.
When Metap first announced the game’s shutdown in February, the developer explained they had been exploring options to transfer operational rights to a third party or find a new owner. The company stated that they chose to sign a contract with Hanabitei because, “considering [Kurokage and Alamode’s] past contributions and achievements within the game, […] they are a reliable and ideal partner for the operational transfer.”
Mido