Fallen Fates rockets past €100k on Kickstarter — here’s the real story for ARPG fans

Why Fallen Fates grabbed my attention

Kickstarter campaigns pop up every day, but a 2D action-RPG blowing past €100,000 in under 48 hours still makes me sit up. Hibernian Workshop isn’t a random newcomer; Astral Ascent earned them a reputation for tight combat and gorgeous pixel art. Fallen Fates looks like the studio stepping from “indie darling” to “ambitious contender,” with fully voiced characters, a sprawling 2D world, and even guest tracks from Motoi Sakuraba. That combination is catnip for ARPG fans-but it also raises the stakes. High-profile talent can elevate a project, or bloat it. The early question is: does Fallen Fates’ gameplay spine look strong enough to carry all that ambition?

Key Takeaways

• Lightning-fast funding signals real demand, likely built on Astral Ascent’s goodwill.
• Big names (Motoi Sakuraba, Ben Starr, Debra Wilson) add polish-but also expectations around scope and delivery.
• Self-publishing with Red Art Games handling fulfillment could reduce physical reward headaches.
• The trailer teases mobility and customization; the make-or-break will be combat readability and feel.

Breaking down the announcement

In 48 hours, Fallen Fates smacked past its €100,000 goal after a rapid-fire opening (€20k in the first hour, €50k by hour six). With 30 days to go, the campaign is already talking stretch goals-headlined by additional music from Motoi Sakuraba (Tales of, Dark Souls, Star Ocean). The cast includes Ben Starr (FFXVI’s Clive) and Debra Wilson (Destiny 2’s Savathûn, Jedi’s Cere), and the studio dropped a new trailer showing a generous slice of the game’s vibe: fast traversal, frame-by-frame animation, and fully voiced scenes in a lush pixel world.

On paper, the feature list is what you want from a 2D ARPG in 2025: open-ended exploration across deserts, ruins, fortresses; slick movement (dash, slide, climb, grappling-hook-style traversal); and a combat system that leans on magical abilities you can upgrade and slot into custom builds. The narrative premise—two protagonists bound together, one human seeking strength and a powerful magical being searching for purpose—suggests character-driven storytelling rather than lore dumps, and the team is promising cinematic cutscenes to sell those moments.

The real story: promise vs. risk

Kickstarter success is a great signal; it is not a ship date. We’ve seen both ends of the spectrum in recent years: Sea of Stars nailed the pitch-to-delivery arc, while delays and scope creep have tripped up other high-profile projects. Fallen Fates’ stretch goals are exciting, but more music, more VO, and artisan physical rewards all add complexity. The good news is Hibernian Workshop plans to self-publish after Astral Ascent and is partnering with Red Art Games for fulfillment—smart if you want to avoid the classic “whoops, the collector’s statues delayed the whole thing” scenario.

What matters most for players is whether the fundamentals sing. The trailer shows fast, readable animation and big, expressive effects—great for spectacle, risky for clarity if hitboxes and i-frames aren’t tuned. Astral Ascent proved these devs understand combat cadence, cancel windows, and enemy telegraphs; if that DNA carries over with a broader world and buildcraft, Fallen Fates could land somewhere between Hyper Light Drifter’s purity and Blasphemous’ crunchy impact, with a dash of Tales-style flourish from Sakuraba’s tracks.

Industry context: what sets it apart

Pixel-art action-RPGs aren’t exactly scarce, but fully voiced casts are. Voice acting can transform character beats in a retro aesthetic, and landing talents like Ben Starr and Debra Wilson suggests Hibernian wants those scenes to carry real weight. The “world presented through art” line isn’t just marketing either—frame-by-frame animation is time-consuming, which often correlates with punchy, satisfying feedback. Add Sakuraba’s signature progressive-rock-tinged orchestration on top, and you’ve got an identity that reads more “modern RPG with pixel aesthetics” than “retro homage.”

There’s also the platform spread: PC and consoles from day one. That’s thrilling, but it raises questions. Performance and input latency can make or break an action game on Switch or handheld PCs. If Fallen Fates keeps its animation budget while maintaining 60fps and snappy controls, it’ll stand out. If it dips below, especially during effect-heavy spells, players will feel it instantly.

What gamers should watch for next

• Hands-on or demo: We need to feel dash responsiveness, parry/cancel windows, and hit-stop, not just see them.
• Combat readability: Do particle effects obscure enemy tells? Are bosses telegraphed cleanly at 60fps?
• Build depth: How wild can magical ability customization get, and does it support multiple viable playstyles?
• Accessibility and difficulty: Remappable controls, colorblind-friendly effects, and granular difficulty go a long way.
• Scope control: Stretch goals can be great—just keep an eye on anything that balloons VO sessions or adds new regions late.
• Timeline transparency: A clear production roadmap beats vague target windows, especially with physical rewards in play.

Looking ahead

This is the kind of Kickstarter that earns attention because the foundation looks solid and the studio has a proven touch with combat and art. The risk isn’t whether Fallen Fates will be cool; it’s whether a small team of 11 can deliver a fully voiced, content-rich world without slipping into endless delay purgatory. Partnering with Red Art Games helps on the fulfillment front, and keeping Sakuraba’s role to “additional music” is a smart way to add star power without taking on a full-score commitment.

TL;DR

Fallen Fates smashed its Kickstarter goal because the pitch—slick 2D combat, open exploration, full VO, Sakuraba tracks—hits exactly where ARPG fans live. If Hibernian nails performance, readability, and build depth while resisting scope creep, this could be one of 2026’s standout indies. For now, cautious optimism feels justified.