Quick Take
- ChronoForge said it will shut down services by December 30, 2025 after it failed to secure funding or an acquisition.
- Aether Games said it shut down after it missed player targets and faced exchange delisting risk and security incidents.
- The shutdowns land during a wider stretch of Web3 games closures across 2025, including Tokyo Beast, Age of Dino, and Eldarune.
ChronoForge Sets a December 30 Shutdown Date
ChronoForge told players on X that it will shut down services by December 30, 2025. The studio said it kept the project running through “many headwinds,” using founders’ personal finances since July and operating after an 80% team reduction.
The studio launched ChronoForge in Early Access on September 10 and said the game earned a 4.2 rating on the Epic Games Store. The team said it continued shipping patches and features while operating without a marketing budget, dealing with the loss of developer support, and facing weak sentiment across Web3 gaming.
ChronoForge said it could not find sufficient funding or an acquirer to continue. The studio said it reached the decision after discussions with the Rift Foundation, adding that it could not sustain the game or its token utilities. In the replies, one account, mooney, wrote: “rip to my seed investment.”
ChronoForge positioned itself as a Web3 MMORPG powered by the Abstract network and distributed in Early Access through the Epic Games Store. The studio described MMO scale systems paired with blockchain rewards, with progression tied to raids and mini games across time themed zones. It also outlined faction based airships called trading companies, framed as hubs for crafting and governance.
The project previously raised $3 million, according to the information provided, with backers listed as SwissBorg Ventures, GHAF Capital Partners, Contango Digital Assets, WWVentures, Spicy Capital, and LiquidX.
Aether Games Confirms Shutdown and Cites Token and Security Strain
Aether Games also announced a shutdown on X. The studio wrote that it “officially shut down” after a long effort to keep the project alive, centered on a card game focus and several pivots. It said it never reached the player base it needed for long term viability.
In its statement, Aether Games pointed to the period around its token generation event as a key inflection point. It described losses tied to key opinion leader, partner, and advisory arrangements that it said were made in bad faith. It also described marketing and market making costs, with the token continuing to fall as liquidity support resources were drained.
Aether Games said it received notices of delisting risk from major exchanges, naming KuCoin and Gate and referencing an earlier risk notice involving Bybit. The studio wrote that, given its position, the AEG token “cannot survive much longer” without stable listings and gaming scale.
The post also described ongoing operational costs tied to audits, compliance, security, listings, and tooling. It said recent weeks included multiple hack attempts with one successful incident, and it advised community members to avoid suspicious links and wallet connections. It also said it would close its Discord, citing scam risk and user safety concerns.
Fundraising figures from CryptoRank indicates $12.62 million total raised, with $8.12 million listed as a public sale and $4.50 million listed as funding rounds. Aether Games has described itself as a studio behind Cards of Eternity: The Wheel of Time, a licensed digital trading card game.
More Web3 Games Closures Stack Up Across 2025
The ChronoForge and Aether Games announcements add to a growing list of play to earn games and crypto games shutting down this year.
Tokyo Beast previously ended services August 2025, following internal discussions around operational costs and sustainability. Age of Dino also confirmed a shutdown date of September 30 with a final snapshot on September 29, alongside a plan to transition progress and ROAR tokens into a new ecosystem under development by GamePhilos. Eldarune also confirmed closure, with ELDA planned to migrate into a new infrastructure project.
