The Mystery Society Halts Development Due to Funding Challenges

Development Halted for The Mystery Society

The Mystery Society, a Web3 game blending the casual play of Among Us with a murder mystery theme, has suspended development. Developer Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow struggled to secure funding to keep the project alive.

The game launched in early 2024. The studio raised $3 million in a funding round led by Shima Capital. Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow was founded by gaming veterans, with CEO Chris Heatherly leading the team. He previously managed Disney’s Club Penguin and later worked at NBCUniversal’s gaming division.

Source: X

Migration to Immutable and Token Plans

Initially, The Mystery Society operated on Ethereum’s Polygon network before moving to Immutable. The team had plans to launch the MYSTRY token. However, after Monday’s announcement, the token is now on hold.

The game will remain live for as long as possible while the team searches for a new direction. The studio is considering a relaunch on Steam without Web3 features. They are also open to partnering with a publisher in either Web2 or Web3 to keep the project moving forward.

Heatherly spoke openly about the financial struggles facing Web3 gaming. He described the situation as chaotic. Crypto markets have been declining, venture capital funds are depleted, and previous game token launches have performed poorly. Many investors have shifted focus to trading alternative tokens and meme coins to generate returns. As a result, risk tolerance for new projects is low.

Source: X

Crypto prices have dropped significantly. Bitcoin briefly peaked above $108,000 but fell below $83,000 within a month. Gaming tokens have suffered the most, showing extreme volatility. Only two gaming-related tokens remain in the top 100 by market cap, with many losing significant value.

Heatherly blamed meme coins for damaging the Web3 gaming space. He criticized how they fueled unrealistic expectations. Many people now believe hype is more important than creating a functional product. Developers have been launching layer-2 networks, Telegram-based games, and AI-driven projects to maintain interest, but often without long-term plans.

Despite the challenges, Heatherly still believes in Web3 gaming. He sees potential in a system where players can sell NFTs and tokens when they leave a game. However, he emphasized the need for realistic expectations. Players should not expect large token rewards just for participating.

The Mystery Society was built with successful Web2 games in mind, such as Among Us and Stumble Guys. These games have made hundreds of millions of dollars without relying on crypto. Heatherly believes the free-to-play model could work on-chain if the industry moves past speculative trading and focuses on real value.

The Need for Sustainable Growth

Heatherly expressed frustration with the current state of Web3 gaming. Many founders feel exhausted and are struggling to stay afloat. He called for an end to the cycle of speculative token launches and urged developers to focus on building sustainable projects.

There is still hope for The Mystery Society. Heatherly shared that several blockchain projects and creators have reached out with potential solutions. One idea under consideration is tokenizing the game’s intellectual property. Another option is finding a new direction that stays true to the game’s original vision.

Heatherly originally created The Mystery Society as a spiritual successor to Club Penguin for adults. However, he felt that the crypto industry prioritized financial extraction over meaningful experiences. He now seeks to rebuild with a community that values long-term engagement over quick profits.

Final Thoughts 

Heatherly’s recent statements suggest he is open to new possibilities. He called on like-minded individuals to join him in creating something more substantial than a short-term trading opportunity. Whether The Mystery Society finds a new path or not, his message was clear—Web3 gaming needs a shift in mindset to survive and thrive.