Firefall MMO finds new investor, announces 2014 launch

New investment in the developer behind upcoming MMO Firefall will see the free-to-play shooter officially launch this year, according to an announcement from Red 5 Studios.

from Red 5 Studios. The $23 million in additional funds arrive thanks to some help from both new and already established investors in the game.

2013 was a year of ups and downs for Red 5. It launched Firefall's open betabut also had to pull the game's PvP contentand make changesto its workforce. But the new cash should make all the difference for Red 5's Firefall plans, according to acting CEO James Macauley.

“This additional round of funding will offer us the means to execute on our plan for successfully launching Firefall in 2014," Macauley says in a press release. “This is the year Firefall takes flight. The entire Red 5 tribe is focused on creating top quality content that will take Firefall to the next level and we are excited for this next stage of development.”

The deal sees new investor Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development become a 20 percent shareholderin Red 5, with the studio remaining a subsidiary of game developer and operator The9 Limited. The new plan is for Firefall's PvP mode to be re-released later this year along with a narrative campaign introducing some new characters to the game, according to Red 5. For a bit more on the genre-bending shooter, check out our Firefall preview.

Thanks, PCGamesN.