Project Phoenix, a role-playing game that surpassed $1 million in Kickstarter funding in 2013, has provided its first update to backers in seven years. The game, described by developer CIA, Inc. as a JRPG incorporating squad-based RTS mechanics, is now aiming for production completion by the end of 2031.
The project's initial estimated release was March 2015. This was later pushed to 2018, after which the Kickstarter page fell silent. In a private update shared by backers on ResetEra, director and producer Hiroaki Yura apologized for the prolonged silence and the missed deadlines. "It has been seven years since my last update. I’m not going to soften that or bury it further down the page," Yura stated. "You backed this project, you trusted me with it, and then you heard nothing for a very long time. That silence is mine to answer for."
Yura explained that his self-imposed rule was to only post updates when there was something "worth showing," a policy he now admits was misguided. He acknowledged that going "radio silent for nearly a decade was the wrong call."
The director also addressed community concerns regarding his work on other games since the Project Phoenix campaign. Yura asserts that none of the Kickstarter funds were used for these other projects and, in fact, that those games helped to fund Project Phoenix. "We did not get rich off [those games]," he claimed. "We are not anywhere close to rich. Whatever room those projects create goes straight back into being able to finish Phoenix the way it should be finished."
While admitting that "not every dollar was spent as well as it could have been," Yura maintained that all funds went into the game's production. He stated that subsequent funding has been secured to ensure Project Phoenix's completion without relying on the initial crowdfunding contributions.
As part of the update, Yura shared a newly recorded, though still in rough mix, main theme song by Nobuo Uematsu, and a two-minute gameplay video showcasing a "work in progress" prototype. If Project Phoenix indeed launches in 2031, it will mark an 18-year gap between its initial reveal and its eventual release.