Embracing What's Next for Tatsu
We’re saying goodbye to Tatsumeeko: Lumina Fates and returning to our roots - building games shaped by and for our community. We reflect on the journey and up next is Project: Wander.
Today, we’re sharing a difficult decision, one made with careful consideration and a deep respect for the players and partners who’ve supported us: we discontinued the development of Tatsumeeko: Lumina Fates.
Over eight playtests, you showed us the kind of creativity and camaraderie that reminds us of why we make games. While the concepts were exciting and there were many moments of promise, the end results didn’t give us the confidence to move forward in a way that would be sustainable. We know this news may be disappointing for those who were excited about Lumina Fates, and we deeply appreciate the time, passion, and anticipation you invested in its journey.
While it’s the end of our journey with Lumina Fates, it also marks a deliberate return to what we do best: building games that live, breathe, and evolve inside the communities that play them. With sharper focus and hard-won lessons, we’re already building the new experiences designed to turn your servers, group chats, and digital hangouts into dynamic and energetic hangouts.
1. A Return to Our Core Ideals
Since our beginnings in 2015 as a project run by community volunteers, we’ve championed a simple truth: the most meaningful games we’ve experienced aren’t only played, they’re also shared. They thrive in the spaces where people already gather, evolve through inside jokes and shared experiences, and they blur the line between play and daily life. This philosophy guided our efforts with Tatsu.GG and Tatsugotchi in 2019, and helped us to deliver our experiences to over 1.5 million Discord communities in the years that followed.
In mid-2022 when we started development of Tatsumeeko: Lumina Fates, we had the desire to take that philosophy to new heights. Our goal was to encompass these ideals and to produce much higher quality experiences and deliver even more value to the community. However, in retrospect, as development progressed, complexities and the scope of our vision created development headwinds resulting in tough compromises. These decisions unfortunately led to the product lacking many of the core ideals that made it special.
This time around, rather than directing players to external clients or apps, our upcoming development, Project: Wander, will be integrated directly into the digital third-places that you call home, making gameplay more immediate, social, and engaging.
We’re also making a fundamental readjustment: abandoning lengthy, more traditional development cycles and returning to shipping updates frequently and building transparently with the community, supported by a leaner and more agile team capable of rapid iteration based on player feedback.
2. Evolving with Our Community
Since our beginnings as a community-run project in 2015, countless people have influenced everything we build and that won’t change. As we take this new direction, we’re also ensuring our existing ecosystem grows with us.
If you’re a holder of Meekolony Passes and Aethereal Parcels, you’ll see your assets transition into new forms of utility and value inside what we’re building next. Participants of our past events will not be forgotten as well - all participation will count towards what's coming in the future. More details will follow as we refine these systems, alongside a roadmap outlining our upcoming developments.
3. Play Together, Build Together
As we continue building, we’re focusing on something that’s always mattered most to us: crafting experiences that feel alive, personal, and deeply rooted in community. Over time, we’ve learned that the most meaningful game moments aren’t just about mechanics but also about the people. Inside jokes, shared memories, community content, and spontaneous interactions are what turns a game into a gathering place, and the gathering place into a game. That’s the kind of space we want to build, a space where your server’s personality and friendships shape the events around you.
With this directional change, we now have even greater freedom to fully refocus on what we believe in: games that grow communities. Games that feel like a natural extension of the friendships, cultures, and quirks that you’ve built together.
We’re returning to what made our earliest projects focused on: building socially-driven experiences that live inside the spaces you already care about, experiences that grow stronger the more you play together.
This is our next chapter, shaped not just by us, but by you.
Looking Ahead
Development on Project: Wander is already in motion and we will commit to shipping as early as possible. Over the next few months, we’ll share updates, gather feedback, and adjust based on real player and community input. Transparency remains a priority - if something works, you’ll know. If changes are needed, we’ll communicate them openly.
To everyone who supported Lumina Fates, we’re incredibly grateful. While we’re shifting direction, this decision allows us to focus on what we do best - building games that grow, adapt, and bring communities together.
We look forward to shaping this next chapter with you!
📢 Heads up!
On May 28, 2025, our social media handles will change to reflect the new direction. If you have any questions, concerns, or just want to follow along as we build, follow us on X. Let’s build this world together!