Book of Travels developer Might and Delight has laid off most of its staff after the cozy MMO's launch didn't pan out as expected. The staff has been downsized by more than two-thirds, leaving a small core team that is nevertheless still "hell bent" on continuing, according to the studio.
Why have these Book of Travels layoffs happened?
After launching in October 2021, it seems that the launch of Book of Travels, described by its developer as a "TMORPG" (tiny multiplayer online RPG), didn't go as well as Might and Delight had hoped it would. In a post on the game's Steam page, Might and Delight confirm that it's downsized its staff from 35 people to around 10 due to Book of Travels' launch underperforming. The studio doesn't give any reasons for why the game might have underperformed.
Might and Delight say that the pace of content going forward "will be affected" by the layoffs, but that the remaining staff are "hell bent" on two things: carrying on, and bringing high-quality content to Book of Travels. The studio says it's always thrived "in the margins", and that it will do whatever it takes in order to keep the project running. If you're playing Book of Travels and you want to support the project, Might and Delight recommend you pick up the new "Cup of Kindness" DLC pack, which doesn't have any in-game benefit but which will help the team move forward with the game.
What is Book of Travels?
According to its Steam page, Might and Delight is a "tiny multiplayer online" game in which you can "roleplay without the restraints of linear missions and plotlines". Unlike other MMOs, you won't come across many other players; the devs say this is to foster "unique and memorable" fellowships between players. You can define your own path to a large degree; there is combat, but you can also simply wander the world as you see fit. Communicating with other players is also unique, with a symbol-based system replacing chat.
It's a shame to see this project in trouble. We were pretty fond of its exploration-heavy approach in our preview, and it's refreshing to see an MMO that doesn't take a numbers and loot-based view of the genre. We'll have to wait and see what Might and Delight has in store for this project and whether the downsizing will be enough to save it. In the meantime, if you like, you can pick up Book of Travels right now on Steam, where it's currently in Early Access.
Are you still playing Book of Travels? Let us know in the comments below!
