Just Days After Its Early Access Release, This New Steam Game Is Already Closing Its Doors

Studio Chaf has announced that it is shutting down its debut game, Velev, days after it launched into Steam Early Access on April 9.

“As some of you may have already noticed, we weren’t able to reach the point we needed to continue supporting and servicing Velev,” the development team said in a statement. “Despite our best efforts, we couldn’t secure the investment we needed from VCs or larger partners. With limited options, we made the decision to launch in Early Access, hoping for the best.”

Chalf added that the studio understood that Velev wasn’t in the best state when it launched as a paid early access title on Steam. However, it was the only viable path forward in order to continue development. Unfortunately, Chaf is stepping away from development and bringing Velev to a close.

Velev is also transitioning to a free-to-play model, with all purchases being fully refunded. While the game’s server will shut down eventually, a specific date hasn’t been determined yet.

Velev is a game that has both PvP MOBA arena action as well as PvE gameplay. Players assume the role of an explorer who stumbles upon a void within the Earth, stepping into a new world where technology and nature coexist in harmony.

While not the exact same situation, the disastrous early access launch of The Day Before caused its developer Fntastic to shut down the game mere days after its launch.

Steam also recently added a new notice for early access games. If a game in early access hasn’t been updated in several months, its Steam page will now mention that. This gives potential buyers a clear warning that a game they’re about to purchase hasn’t been updated or supported in a while.