Former Blizzard Developers' Studio Frost Giant Secures Nearly $1 Million in Funding from Players

The concept of crowdfunding is nothing new, with over a decade of Kickstarter campaigns bringing numerous games to market. However, equity crowdfunding is less common. Frost Giant Studios launched a campaign on StartEngine, allowing players to purchase shares in the company, potentially sharing in its long-term success. The campaign aims to raise between $15,000 and $5 million and has nearly reached the $1 million milestone. CEO Tim Morten explains that equity crowdfunding enables the studio to self-publish its debut game, Stormgate, a free-to-play real-time strategy title. Morten notes that developing and publishing are distinct activities, with development involving a team of developers, engineers, designers, artists, and producers, while publishing is primarily a marketing activity. By using equity crowdfunding, Frost Giant retains decision-making agency over the game's design and launch. The studio has already secured $34.7 million in Seed and Series A funding from investors such as Riot Games, Bitkraft, and Kakao Games. Additionally, a successful Kickstarter campaign raised $2.4 million from over 28,000 backers. Despite already having significant funding, Morten believes that big games require substantial investment, and the equity crowdfunding campaign provides an opportunity for players to be part of the studio's success. Frost Giant was formed by former Blizzard developers, including Morten and Tim Campbell, who gathered a core team to work on the SnowPlay technology and Stormgate. The studio's approach to real-time strategy games involves emphasizing approachability and teamwork, allowing for a more social experience. Stormgate will be a free-to-play title, and the team's experience with transitioning StarCraft II to a free-to-play model in 2017 has inspired their approach to live service models and content updates. The game is set to launch in Early Access this summer, with a roadmap for full launch dependent on community feedback.