In November, reports surfaced about a sizeable grant from the Internet Development Institute, known as IRI. The award, pegged at 100 million rubles, was meant to accelerate the development of a Teslapunk action game called Trains. The project, led by Watt Studio, aimed to reach players within a planned release window. Yet, in a surprising twist, the developers revealed they never actually received the funds. The arrangement appeared to hinge on payment only after the game launched, prompting the team to pause the project before reaching the finish line.
Toward the end of October, Watt Studio publicly clarified that money from the IRI would not arrive until the game had been created and released. The letter of understanding suggested payment would follow a successful launch, a sequence misaligned with the studio’s immediate financial needs. In practice, the team anticipated a 100 million ruble tranche only after completion, which created a cash flow challenge for ongoing work.
In the weeks that followed, Watt Studio faced a series of hurdles. Negotiations stretched over months, and concessions from Iran proved weak. External investors showed little interest in backing the project, and government subsidies did not translate into accessible bank loans. Facing a funding drought, the studio chose to pause work on the game rather than lock in uncertain financing terms. The pause echoed a broader reality: without stable and timely funding, ambitious titles struggle to move from concept to playable product.
— The Watt Studio team
Initially, Watt Studio had explored a phased financing approach, hoping for staged support from the IRI. Yet the offer did not satisfy the developers, who were urged to search for funds themselves. The promise of full payment only after the game’s release left the studio wary, since the projected November 2024 deadline would have required rapid progress under uncertain terms. The team even looked into a soft loan from a bank, but the financial institution balked at offering money tied to a state grant that would not be disbursed for years.
Despite the setback, the door remains open for the project. There is an understanding among Watt Studio staff that the Trains venture could be revived later, if more favorable financial conditions or a revised funding framework becomes available. The developers stay hopeful that a path forward will present itself, enabling the creative concept of Trains to reach players when timing and resources align more favorably.
Recent scene previews and materials indicate that all available screenshots originate from TRAINS: Through electric storms. The project sits within the broader Teslapunk genre, signaling a blend of electric-era aesthetics with fast paced action gameplay. While the initial funding hiccup paused momentum, the team continues to emphasize the game’s distinctive vision and potential appeal to fans of retro-futurist settings.
Atomic Heart, another title connected to discussions about mature content and artistic direction, has drawn attention to questions of censorship and creative boundaries. Reports from censorship authorities in Singapore highlighted notable sexual content, swearing, and cruelty in that title, underscoring the varied regulatory environments developers must navigate when bringing ambitious games to market. The Watt Studio project, rooted in a different cultural and regulatory context, faces its own set of review, funding, and release considerations as it contemplates a return to development at a later date.
Source attribution: VG Times