Australian video game developers secured a $7.5 million seed investment, as announced through platform Qloud 9.
The Australian-based cozy MMO game Loftia is currently in active development and alpha testing, with an early access release planned for December 2025 on PC and Nintendo Switch. The game, set in a warm, solarpunk world, aims to provide a comfortable and safe gaming experience for players.
Loftia is the brainchild of Sydney couple Martina Qin and Michael Su, who started their tech journey at a young age. Qin, a former EY strategist and Westpac product manager, ran an MMO server for MapleStory at age 13, while Su spent four years as a software developer at Canva.
The game has attracted significant backing, closing a $7.5 million seed funding round led by prominent US investors, including Bay Area gaming fund GFR and Denver-based Bitkraft Ventures. These investors are drawn to Loftia's unique solarpunk vision, emphasizing community, collaboration, and cozy world-building, in contrast to the typical combat-heavy MMO market.
Loftia is more than just a game; it's a community-driven experience. Players will have the option to purchase cosmetic microtransactions such as furniture and outfits for their in-game characters, as well as merchandise after the game launches. One of the missions of Loftia is to inspire players to think about helping the environment and their community.
The game's genre, cozy, is known for its focus on relationship building and natural settings. Loftia offers a hopeful vision of the future as a result of sustainability efforts and a reliance on renewables, making it a solarpunk game. The game's latest addition, the Hanging Gardens, enhances the solar punk world with collaborative gameplay and community-driven sustainability projects.
Loftia is expected to launch on PC and Nintendo Switch in late 2025, with plans to expand to other platforms like PlayStation and Xbox in the future. The game's success is a testament to the growing video game industry, which is estimated to grow to $240 billion globally by 2025, driven by an expansion of who plays games, the types of stories and experiences told, and the careers available to those skilled in games.
In addition to the game, the company Qloud, founded by Qin and Su, is also growing. Qloud's headquarters remain in Sydney, with a remote development team spanning several countries, including the US, Canada, and Brazil. The team's ongoing outreach, including fan art competitions, is building a passionate player base pre-launch.
In summary, Loftia is progressing steadily towards early access at the end of 2025, with ambitious plans for platform expansion, new gameplay regions, and strong international investor support centered on a positive, community-driven MMO experience set in a warm solarpunk world.
