Hex: Shards of Fate was a digital trading card game (TCG) developed and published by Cryptozoic Entertainment. The game was released on PC and Mac in 2014 and later had planned releases for iOS, Android, and console platforms that never materialized. Hex featured gameplay similar to popular physical TCGs like Magic: The Gathering, with a focus on multiplayer battles, deck building, and collecting cards. It garnered attention for being one of the first successfully crowdfunded digital TCGs, raising over $2.6 million on Kickstarter. However, after a few years of operation Hex shut down in January 2020. There are several factors that contributed to the game’s closure.
Hex’s Kickstarter Success
Hex got its start on Kickstarter in 2013, seeking to capitalize on the lack of a big digital TCG since the decline of Magic: The Gathering Online. The Kickstarter campaign promised a dynamic digital TCG experience with features like multiplayer, tournaments, deck building, and a campaign mode. It was also touted as the first TCG to incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrency technology. The game would be free-to-play with card packs available for purchase using both real money and in-game currency.
The campaign generated a lot of hype and went on to raise $2,278,255 from over 17,000 backers, far exceeding its $300,000 goal. This made it one of the top 10 highest funded Kickstarter campaigns at the time. The funding success indicated there was demand for an immersive and robust digital TCG.
Hex’s Launch and Player Base
After delays, Hex was officially released on PC in June 2014, with Mac support added later. The launch included features like:
| – PvP battles | – Ranked play |
| – Draft tournaments | – Card trading |
| – Deck building | – Campaign PvE raids |
Reviews of the game at launch were generally positive, praising the gameplay depth and strategic complexity on par with physical TCGs. According to Steam charts data, Hex averaged around 1,000 concurrent players in its first few months. The player base grew modestly for the next couple years, peaking at around 2,500 concurrent players in early 2016. However, it began declining after that back down to around 500-1,000 concurrent players for 2017-2019.
While those numbers weren’t tiny, they also weren’t as high as popular digital card games like Hearthstone, suggesting Hex struggled to attract masses of new players after launch. This more limited player base would ultimately be one factor in Hex’s decline.
Failures to Expand Platforms
One issue Hex faced was difficulty expanding beyond PC onto other platforms as originally promised. The Kickstarter had touted future releases for mobile, tablets, and game consoles, but those never fully materialized. An iOS app briefly made it to a soft launch in select regions in 2016 but was discontinued soon after due to performance issues and updates being too demanding for mobile hardware.
Efforts to bring Hex to Xbox One and PS4 also ultimately stalled out. The game remained confined to PC and Mac, severely limiting its total accessible audience compared to competitors on mobile platforms. As a result, Hex struggled to attract the amounts of new players it would’ve needed to sustain itself in the long run.
Problems Retaining Players
Hex did not do enough to retain players it was able to bring in. One common complaint was that as a free-to-play game, it was far too unfavorable for casual players compared to heavily invested ones. Building competitive decks required large amounts of cards and luck from opening expensive packs. For casual players unwilling or unable to keep buying packs, gameplay became increasingly frustrating and unsatisfying over time.
There were also complaints about bugs plaguing PvP matches and tournaments. Issues like cards not working properly or games stalling out soured the experience. While patches addressed some problems, lingering issues persisted and turned players off over time. The small player base also impacted queues and matchmaking, making finding matches time consuming at times.
Lawsuits and Loss of Momentum
Hex Entertainment became embroiled in a lawsuit with Wizards of the Coast in 2014 over alleged patent infringements from Magic: The Gathering. While the suit was eventually settled in 2017, it likely hampered Cryptozoic’s ability to focus resources on improving Hex during that period of legal uncertainty.
The lawsuit and platform issues robbed Hex of momentum following its successful Kickstarter. Interest and excitement from players began to wane. Attempts to improve monetization with changes like adding VIP subscriptions in 2018 were met with community backlash. By 2019, Hex lacked the active player base and revenue needed to sustain itself.
The Shutdown
In late 2019, Cryptozoic announced plans to sunset the Hex platform, citing the lack of growth and resources to continue supporting it. The digital card game officially shut down on January 31st, 2020. At the time, it still maintained several hundred daily active users. However, that was not enough to keep it financially viable.
Hex ran special events and bonuses leading up to closure to reward remaining loyal players. Accounts and collections were closed, with no way for players to recover collections. It marked an unceremonious end for a once highly anticipated entry in the digital TCG market.
Lessons From Hex’s Demise
The story of Hex provides some lessons for aspiring digital card games:
– Successful funding doesn’t guarantee sustained success. Maintaining momentum and players is crucial.
– Broad platform availability is hugely important for reach and player base growth.
– Fun and fair gameplay for all players, not just hardcore ones, is key to retention.
– Lawsuits and controversies can quickly derail progress and enthusiasm.
– Adapting and improving the business model is necessary as the market evolves.
Hex had strong potential but was unable to address its shortcomings before the downward spiral became irrecoverable. Its demise shows just how difficult it is to break through and succeed long-term in the digital card game market.
Conclusion
In the end, Hex: Shards of Fate could not live up to its initial hype and deliver on the promise of becoming the next big digital trading card game. Its Kickstarter success proved there was interest in the concept. However, difficulties expanding platforms, retaining players, lawsuits, loss of momentum and revenue ultimately led Cryptozoic to shut Hex down just a few years after launch. It serves as a cautionary tale when a crowdfunded game fails to continually evolve and meet player expectations over time. Hex may one day be remembered as an ambitious idea that was ahead of its time but failed to take off and join the competitive ranks of Hearthstone and others at card gaming’s new digital frontier.
