Last week, inXile Entertainment announced Wasteland 3, the sprawling sequel to their 2014 hit Wasteland 2. Planning on expanding the open-world possibilities for the Wasteland franchise, the studio decided to bring Wasteland 3 to the crowdfunding website Fig this time around, launching their campaign for an additional $2.75 million USD on Oct 5th. Within the past 24 hours, that campaign has succeeded tremendously: as of this writing, over 4,800 backers have pledged at least $1,500,000 worth in funds.
The pledges, which have already surpassed the 50% mark as of 15 hours in, include a $5 USD forum badge, a $25 Early Access copy, a $33 extension with a console copy and a $45 pledge with a free copy of Wasteland 2 and some information about Wasteland 3‘s lore. There’s also quite a number of rewards for high-paying backers. The most expensive tier available is a $5,000 unique encounter design, in which backers can name and describe their NPCs and decide how an encounter will take place. While expensive, it’s a great way to show support for the independent studio.
There’s also an incentive to back in the first 48 hours: According to the Fig page, all early bird backers with a $20 USD or more investment will receive a free copy of the cRPG UnderRail or the horror adventure game STASIS. Both titles are available on Steam, with keys distributed once the campaign concludes.
To some extent, the popular support for Wasteland 3 is expected. After all, Wasteland 2 was a direct sequel to Fallout 1‘s predecessor, Wasteland, and the game fared quite well among critics. But the sheer number of pledges arriving on Fig is absolutely phenomenal. With Fig introducing investment options, the increase in crowfunding backing may be from interested investors, hoping to support Wasteland 3 for its assured success down the road.
Stay tuned as more news develops about the Wasteland 3 Fig crowdfunding campaign. With inXile already halfway to breaking their target, it’s expected that stretch goals will pop up over the next couple weeks.
