Buying an Early Access game is not without risk, and Steam even explicitly states “you should only buy an Early Access game if you are excited about playing it in its current state.” There are no guarantees that the games will get a final release, and that fact has once again been proven by Hidden Path Entertainment, the developer behind an Early Access game called Windborne.

The developer wrote in a lengthy post on the game’s status page:

It is with a heavy heart that we announce we are closing down Windborne today. First, we want to thank the community, who has been so loyal, patient, and shared kind thoughts and ideas with us along the journey.

We have attempted to secure the needed funding to finish the game in various avenues and unfortunately what was once a not-so-completive market has now been flooded with games of this style. Windborne has been a labor of love for this studio since its inception. We have spent countless hours designing and creating a striking world to share with everyone. We have decided that after much business development around the title with no positive movement in funding that we will be delisting Windborne on Steam.

While Windborne will no longer be available for purchase through Steam, Hidden Path stated that all current owners would be given five copies to gift to others, and the game will still function online. Owners of Windborne – Order of the Dragon will also receive three copies of Defense Grid 2 Steam Edition and three copies of the Defense Grid: Containment bundle, all of which will be both usable and giftable.

Although development on Windborne has ceased, the future of the game is still uncertain.

“The main reason [releasing the game code] is not in our plans is that we hope to one day still complete Windborne,” the studio said. “We still actively talk to publishers and investors about this game weekly because we love and believe in it so much. If it becomes possible to finish Windborne we will make sure that the community receives finished copies as well.”

Image credit: Windborne | Hidden Path Entertainment