Update on the Seeds of Unity Gamefound

Altered has always been designed as a meeting point: a space where players connect with the game and, just as importantly, connect with each other. If the message we communicated on Monday caused you concern, it means we failed to deliver the most important: a message of clarity and optimism, not one that generates anxiety.

To every player negatively affected by our previous communication, we truly apologize. We are now committed to address your questions point by point to ensure everyone has the clear answers they've been looking for.

Today, Altered is:

• A team of 25 people.
• A game published in 5 languages and distributed in more than 50 countries.
• A complex digital environment (website, app, BGA, unique cards, server maintenance).
• Production teams, balancing teams, logistics partners, illustrating artists.
• Organized play, international conventions, regional and world championships, marketing activities, etc.

All these important steps have a fixed cost, currently budgeted at €2.5 millions in sales per set. This figure is a very concrete amount: it is the total required to fund a complete new set plus the operation of our ecosystem under healthy conditions (without cutting the team, quality, or ambition of the game).

This amount includes:

• Digital development.
• Production and localization of the set.
• Logistics and delivery.
• Organized play and events.
• And finally, marketing efforts aimed to craft the campaign and grow the community.

We recognize that a crucial piece of information was missing from our initial update: the €2.5 millions financial target is not solely based on Gamefound contributions. The total required funding is calculated as follows:

Gamefound Campaign + Local Game Store Pre-orders

However, currently:

• The players only see the Gamefound total, which offers an incomplete picture of the overall progress.
• We will not have the final figures for LGS pre-orders until November 10th, which is the deadline for shops to finalize their orders via our dedicated retailer platform.

Focusing only on the Gamefound number can make the €2.5 millions goal seem overwhelming. In truth, that figure is only a part of the final amount since many players are already contributing significantly through pre-orders placed with their Local Game Stores.

We understand why the initial €50K milestone, met within minutes, created the confusing impression that the campaign had already secured its necessary funding. The contrast between the initial and final €2.5 millions goals unfortunately led to the perception that we were attempting to hide the true cost. We sincerely apologize for this feeling and completely validate your frustration.

This €50K figure is a symbolic threshold, a standard crowdfunding best practice used to build early momentum and avoid discouraging backers with a seemingly unattainable final number.

To be absolutely clear about our intentions and needs:

1. It is true that $50K does not actually represent the campaign's funding target.
2. This method of operation is specific to crowdfunding campaigns, yet we are in a very different distribution scenario. The intention was not to manipulate, but to follow best practices to ensure a reassuring community movement at the start of the campaign.

Where we went wrong was in failing to make this logic explicit from the start, particularly in a context where trust surrounding TCG funding is absolutely critical. We take full responsibility for this communication error.

This critical question is entirely understandable, and we want to be straightforward:

• Yes, for the foreseeable future, a similar scale will be required to fund the game and the structure that allows it to exist. This is the economic reality of running an independent, international TCG operation.
• However, we do not want this objective to represent an ultimatum or a recurring source of anxiety. Altered must not become a constraint without issue, neither for the community nor for us.

The long-term, sustainable model we are trying to develop with Seeds of Unity, is as follows:

1. To establish a reliable pre-order threshold (combining player and LGS orders) that allows us to fully fund the development and production of a set, and guarantee the project's long-term sustainability.
2. To define a clear path where, eventually, a portion of our costs is covered and/or supported by other sources (partnerships, merchandising, distribution deals). This strategy is essential to move us away from constantly operating on a 'razor's edge' financially.

If the total funding from Gamefound and LGS pre-orders does not allow us to reach the necessary level of funding, we assure you that we will not shut down operations overnight.

1. First, we will analyze the situation internally and evaluate all potential viable options.
2. If, following this analysis, it appears that we cannot sustainably continue Altered:
   • Gamefound backers will be fully refunded,
   • Retailers who pre-ordered will also be protected,
3. We will communicate this decision to you as quickly and clearly as possible and will offer to write the epilogue of the Altered journey together.

This scenario is one we wish to avoid, but we felt it was crucial to inform you of this possibility with full transparency, so that you, too, can have your say in the process.

Just like you, we love Altered, and we wish to continue the adventure alongside you.

We acknowledge and validate your legitimate concerns regarding the position of your Local Game Stores. Our position is as follows:

• Stores are at the heart of our ecosystem. Without local game stores, there is no game; we are well aware of this.
• If the game were to be discontinued, retailers would be fully integrated into our refund policy and each store would be released from the financial commitment made during the campaign.

Altered must remain a source of joy, not an obligation. Regardless of how this adventure continues, we want you to be proud of it. Your trust, in all its forms, has always had a real impact on the teams working on the project.

With this message, we aim to give you all the keys to understanding the situation before the end of the campaign.

As a reminder:

• The Gamefound campaign ends on November 14th at 7:00 PM (UTC+1), extended from the initial end of the campaign of November 7th. This will offer every player wishing to support the game the chance to do so with a complete understanding of retailer support.
• Stores can place their orders until November 10th at 11:59 PM (UTC+1). We will communicate the first campaign results on November 12th.
• Backer payments will be processed on November 14th. You will then be able to submit your personal and shipping information within the Pledge Manager during the first week of December.

Important: This Pledge Manager will not allow you to modify your initial order, nor allow you to place a new order.

Until then, the entire team remains fully committed to:

• Answer your questions,
• Support you throughout the campaign,
• Plan the rest of the Altered adventure alongside you.

We are not giving up and continue to give our best for the future of the project. We are happy to have made the Marketplace and POD services available to all our players since yesterday—an advancement that we hope will allow new players to join us.

Thank you for once again showing up for this key stage of the project. We could not have hoped for such a united community, and we are proud of what Altered is today.