In October, the Internet Development Institute (IRI) allocated a grant of 100 million rubles to the Russian Watt Studio to create the game TRAINS: Through electric storms. In an interview with The House of the Dev portal, the developers admitted that cooperation with Iran did not go according to plan.
According to Watt Studio, the studio agreed on a phased post-payment of the project: the IRI had to allocate money from the grant every time after the developers agreed on part of the work done. However, suddenly the conditions changed. IRI said that he was ready to transfer all 100 million rubles only in November 2024, when the game would be ready.
“We have not received any response to the letter asking us to clarify the situation. We found ourselves in a situation, in fact, of a refusal of funding and a lack of projects for the near future, since the whole team had to start producing a vertical slice of the game,” said Watt Studio.
All this led to the fact that Watt Studio suspended the development of TRAINS: Through electric storms. The studio reported that it had been looking for additional funding for several months, but without success.