MiniWarGaming has another Kickstarter, but layoffs, liquidations, and delayed projects have players asking some tough questions.
Well, here we go again. Back in September, MiniWarGaming said it might not be able to continue, cut its team from 12 people down to four, and started selling off its studio armies. Now they’ve got another Kickstarter running for Wasteland Sector, while Ravaged Star backers are still waiting for their stuff.
You can probably guess how that announcement went over. Matthew certainly could, because he kicked off his new video by asking the exact question everyone was already thinking.
Matthew Asked the Question Before Anyone Else Could
- What’s happening: MiniWarGaming launched Wasteland Sector, its seventh 3D printable terrain Kickstarter, while Ravaged Star is still unfinished.
- What we have seen so far: Matthew says the terrain campaigns run separately from Ravaged Star, the last six delivered on time or early, and the company needs ongoing revenue.
- What’s next: Matthew says this could be MWG’s last terrain Kickstarter as the company refocuses on videos during its six-month turnaround plan.
If you’re wondering what the campaign actually is, here’s a quick rundown: Wasteland Sector is a modular, post-apocalyptic 3D printable terrain system that doesn’t need magnets. It’s MWG’s seventh terrain campaign, and Matthew says iDemo Games is helping make the STL files.
Matthew opened the launch video with the question you’d expect to see all over the comments: “why are you launching another Kickstarter when Ravaged Star still is not in people’s hands?” To his credit, he didn’t dodge it and went straight at it.
His explanation? Money needs to keep coming in. As he puts it, “companies need to continue making revenue,” and you can’t really run a business if you’re sitting around for years between crowdfunding projects with no new money coming in. He also says the terrain campaigns are handled separately from Ravaged Star, so they aren’t holding up fulfillment, and this isn’t technically connected.
Okay, we get that. You’ve got people to pay, bills to cover, and a business to keep running. But there’s a difference between needing revenue and getting customers to trust you with more money. Keeping MWG going is ultimately MWG’s responsibility, not something Ravaged Star backers should have to take on.
MiniWarGaming is Still Fighting to Keep the Lights On
It’s pretty hard to look at this Kickstarter without thinking about everything MWG has told us over the past two months. They cut their staff from 12 people to four, started selling off studio armies, including Dave’s massive Chaos Space Marine collection, and put their Welland property up for sale to cut expenses.
Management also talked about a six-month plan to get a smaller MiniWarGaming focused on making videos and actually paying for itself. If that doesn’t work, they’ve said the company might not be able to continue.
So you’ve got a company cutting costs, selling assets (even on BOGO now), and now asking hobbyists to fund another Kickstarter. That’s some wild timing, right? Maybe the projects really do operate independently, just like Matthew says. But even if they do, you can see why somebody might be a little hesitant to throw more money their way right now.
Ravaged Star Still Hasn’t Shipped, and Everyone Knows It
Matthew isn’t pretending Ravaged Star isn’t years late. He admits it, and he points out that products are finally moving toward fulfillment. Getting Wave One onto boats is progress, no argument there.
The problem is there’s still a whole lot left to finish. Ravaged Star has blown past multiple delivery targets since its original 2024 window. Wave One is still working through shipping and logistics, with fulfillment not yet wrapped up, and Wave Two has plenty of major production work ahead.
The October 14 Gamefound FAQ still lists miniature production, assembly, packaging, rulebooks, and several other Wave Two pieces as unfinished. It also says refunds aren’t happening because the money has already been spent on production. We covered how much was still outstanding in our September 30 Ravaged Star Wave 2 update, and that October FAQ doesn’t exactly make things look any closer to being done.
Trust Doesn’t Come in Separate Boxes
Here’s where Matthew makes a pretty reasonable point. He says all six previous terrain Kickstarters delivered on time or early. But obviously, sending somebody STL files isn’t nearly the same job as manufacturing a whole miniatures game and shipping physical boxes around. That’s a real difference, and it’s worth considering if you’re looking at backing Wasteland Sector.
But there’s still a catch. Most backers aren’t sitting there sorting their trust into different departments. They see MiniWarGaming on the campaign, regardless of which partner is making the files. So even with six successful terrain campaigns behind them, Ravaged Star is still going to be on people’s minds.
You don’t just get a fresh start with backers every time you put a different product on Kickstarter.
Why This Launch Might Be the Last One?
Now, this might be the most interesting thing Matthew said in the entire video. He called Wasteland Sector “our last 3D printing terrain Kickstarter for quite a while,” and then added, “maybe our last ever.”
Apparently, the terrain was already being developed before the company decided to downsize. Now MWG needs to put its energy into making videos and getting its main business back on track. So this sounds more like finishing something they already started than kicking off a whole new direction. Matthew has also talked before about the extra work and hidden expenses that made terrain Kickstarters less appealing as time went on.
Still, it’s an interesting spot to be in. They’re running a campaign to bring in money from something they might be getting out of entirely. That says quite a bit about how leadership sees these projects long-term, even when they sell and deliver successfully. If the terrain campaigns have done well, why stop making them?
Perception Vs. Reality
Matthew spends a good bit of the video talking about “perception versus reality.” His point is that people see individual snapshots of MiniWarGaming and make judgments without knowing everything going on. And sure, that happens. Hobby drama can get pretty twisted once it starts making the rounds online.
But what are people actually reacting to here? There’s a multimillion-dollar crowdfunding campaign that still isn’t finished. A bunch of employees lost their jobs, studio assets are being sold, the property is on the market, and management has openly said the company might not survive its restructuring.
That’s not stuff somebody made up in a comment thread. MWG told everyone about it themselves. So when Matthew frames the backlash as a perception issue, it kind of skips over why backers are concerned in the first place. They’re reacting to what the company has actually announced.
Where Does Crowdfunding End and Preorders Begin?
Matthew comes back to the revenue argument and asks, “what should a company be allowed to do while waiting for a project to be fulfilled.” That’s one way to look at it. But what about the other side of the table? What should backers expect before they’re asked to spend more hobby money?
Crowdfunding gives companies a way to get projects funded without taking on all the usual inventory and production risk upfront. There’s nothing wrong with that by itself, but when an established company keeps using Kickstarter to bring in operating revenue, it starts feeling a lot closer to preorders. The difference is that backers are carrying the risk if things don’t get delivered. And when the company has already said its future is uncertain, that’s something people are going to think about.
And just to be clear, Matthew doesn’t say Wasteland Sector funds are being used for Ravaged Star or old debts, and we’re not saying that either. Plus, digital terrain files are a lot easier to deliver than physical miniatures. The bigger question is whether a company dealing with this much financial pressure should be asking customers to take on more risk right now, even if they’re only buying STLs.
Final Thoughts on the MiniWarGaming Kickstarter
We’re not saying there’s anything shady going on here. Matthew has a fair point about the difference between sending out digital terrain files and dealing with the manufacturing headaches of Ravaged Star. MWG has a good track record with its terrain campaigns, and there’s nothing wrong with a company continuing to sell products. When Matthew says “we’re just trying to make a business work,” we don’t doubt that’s what he’s trying to do.
But can you really blame backers who look at everything that’s happened over the last couple of months and decide they’d rather see Ravaged Star finished first? MiniWarGaming doesn’t need anyone’s permission to start another Kickstarter. What it does need is for customers to feel comfortable backing them again while that big outstanding project is still hanging around.
And at this point, seeing real progress on Wave Two and how that six-month turnaround goes will probably do more for people’s confidence than another explanation video.
🔗 Related Reads:
- MiniWarGaming Says They May Not Be Able To Continue
- MWG Liquidates Dave’s Massive Chaos Army, Ravaged Star Wave 2 Update Looks Rough
- MiniWarGaming Apologizes at NOVA, Update on Ravaged Star Mess
- Ravaged Star: Armies of the Veil-Touched Last Day
- Secret Weapon Miniatures Closes
- The Grimness Fortress 3D STL Terrain Kickstarter
- More Kickstarter Coverage on Spikey Bits
What do you think of MiniWarGaming launching another Kickstarter while Ravaged Star is still unfinished?
seems to me rob bear has a personal feud with mini wargaming
Why are you so obsessed with me?