A Year Ago in Copenhagen – What Happened to Ember Sword?

About a year ago, I went to Copenhagen to meet with a new and exciting company called Bright Star Studios. We were a group of journalists, and honestly, we didn’t know much going in—just that it was a small, new studio with an interesting idea.

I’ve heard that before, so naturally, I was a bit skeptical. But we were given a solid presentation, and the entire team at the studio came across as cheerful, friendly, and genuinely passionate.

We got to see the game, play it, and chat with the developers.

The game later entered beta and, just a few months ago, saw a full release.

And then… they disappeared.

What happened?

The game was supposed to be the next big thing in MMORPGs, and honestly, there was a lot of talent and expertise backing that claim. CEO and founder Mark Laursen was a veteran in the esports scene and also well-known in the MMORPG world as a guild leader in Nihilum, one of World of Warcraft’s biggest guilds.

The game, Ember Sword, was a browser-based title built around blockchain technology. Visually, it was pretty simple, but it still had a nice feel to it—at least from the little I got to play.

But now the company is gone. Their Discord server, websites, everything—just gone. And all I’m left with are questions.

It’s a shame to see it vanish like that. We’ll have to wait and see what happens next. I truly hope that everyone who worked on the game—especially you, Mark Laursen—finds new and exciting things to dive into. You were a great crew, and maybe, just maybe, our paths will cross again.