Matthias Linda, the solo developer behind the retro JRPG Chained Echoes, announced on March 11, 2026 that he was ending his business relationship with physical publisher First Press Games and preparing a lawsuit after more than two years of undelivered physical copies. The Chained Echoes physical edition lawsuit follows a Kickstarter campaign that funded physical releases on Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC back in 2019, only one of which ever shipped. A new Switch edition through Super Rare Games is now filling the gap for eligible backers.1Shacknews. Chained Echoes First Press Games Lawsuit2Super Rare Games. Chained Echoes Physical Info
What Backers Were Promised and What Actually Shipped
The Kickstarter campaign closed on March 2, 2019, raising roughly €163,000 across Kickstarter and PayPal and hitting stretch goals for physical editions on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC.3Alienware Arena. SNES-Style RPG Chained Echoes Reaches Nintendo Switch Stretch Goal First Press Games, a German limited-print publisher, was brought in for those physical editions. The game launched digitally on December 8, 2022 through Deck13 Spotlight.4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit
In a June 2024 backer update, Linda said Sony and Nintendo had approved the physical copies (approval reportedly wrapped up in Q4 2023) and that the discs would ship later that year.5Video Games Chronicle. Acclaimed RPG Chained Echoes Creator Is Suing Its Publisher Because Its Physical Edition Still Isn’t Here Two Years Later4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit They didn’t. By early 2026 the only variant that had reached backers was the standard PlayStation 4 edition. Thirteen other product variants were still outstanding, including Regular, Retro, and Collector’s Editions across PS4, Switch, and PC, a Japanese-themed Switch version, and a CD soundtrack.
Linda’s March 2026 Announcement
In his Kickstarter update, Linda wrote: “It’s been a bit over 2 years since the physical copies were supposed to be released by First Press Games and so far in 2026 nothing has arrived except the regular PlayStation 4 edition. Because of that I had to make a decision: I am terminating my business relationship with FPG and I am preparing a lawsuit.”1Shacknews. Chained Echoes First Press Games Lawsuit6TechRaptor. Chained Echoes First Press Games Lawsuit7GamesIndustry.biz. Developer Sues Publisher After Leaving Kickstarter Backers Waiting Over Two Years for Promised Physical Editions
Linda declined to share specifics about the claims or the court, saying, “Please understand that for legal reasons I can not go into further details.”4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit No filings, case numbers, or jurisdictional details have been made public as of mid-2026.
What First Press Games Said
On March 13, 2026, First Press Games told German trade outlet GamesMarkt that the delays came from “production challenges, including shortages of certain components, which affected both manufacturing and shipping schedules.” The company said the project was “still moving forward as planned” and promised blog updates.8GamesMarkt. First Press Games Still Moving Forward as Planned The statement did not address the terminated business relationship, the lawsuit, or the more than two-year gap between completed platform approvals and actual production. Reports also noted that First Press Games continued listing Chained Echoes physical editions for sale on its website after Linda’s announcement.4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit
What Kickstarter Backers Can Do
Linda’s March 2026 update laid out two paths. Backers can request a refund at any time, or they can keep their pledge and wait for a new physical edition through a different publisher, though he warned that new versions could be held up until the lawsuit is resolved.7GamesIndustry.biz. Developer Sues Publisher After Leaving Kickstarter Backers Waiting Over Two Years for Promised Physical Editions
He also said he would personally compensate backers who used Kickstarter vouchers to upgrade their orders through the First Press Games store. Two limits apply. He cannot refund orders placed independently on the First Press Games website, and for legal reasons he can only compensate people who backed the original Kickstarter campaign.4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit5Video Games Chronicle. Acclaimed RPG Chained Echoes Creator Is Suing Its Publisher Because Its Physical Edition Still Isn’t Here Two Years Later Customers who ordered directly from First Press Games and cannot get a response have, in past cases, threatened complaints to the Verbraucherzentrale, Germany’s consumer protection organization, which enforces the right to refunds under German and EU law when goods are never delivered.
The New Switch Edition Through Super Rare Games
By June 2026, Linda had a new partner. Super Rare Games announced a Nintendo Switch “Complete Edition” that puts the base game and the Ashes of Elrant DLC on a single cartridge. Pre-orders opened on June 18, 2026 in both Standard and Deluxe versions, with shipping expected in September 2026.2Super Rare Games. Chained Echoes Physical Info9RPG Site. Chained Echoes Switch New Physical Deluxe Complete Edition Preorder Super Rare Games
Eligible Kickstarter backers who originally pledged for a physical copy are set to receive the new Switch edition at no additional cost. Instructions went out by email on June 11, 2026. Because only the Switch version is being produced through Super Rare Games, backers who pledged for PC or PlayStation 4 can either accept the Switch edition instead or request a refund.2Super Rare Games. Chained Echoes Physical Info
On the Super Rare Games product page, Linda and Deck13 said they chose the new partner for its “reliable shipping and customer service support” and expressed confidence “that this time they are a trusted partner and there will be no issues on customers receiving their orders.” Super Rare Games noted it has no affiliation with First Press Games and cannot handle inquiries about orders placed through that company.2Super Rare Games. Chained Echoes Physical Info
First Press Games and Other Developers
According to reporting by Kotaku, close to a dozen indie developers have described similar problems with First Press Games over the past four years, including accusations of being “ghosted” and of the company failing to make payments or fulfill project orders.4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit
Named cases include Project Blue, whose developer alleged that First Press Games ran a Kickstarter for a Famicom edition but failed to produce the items or pay the developer for more than three years, only responding after public pressure on social media. Developers behind MindSeize and Powa have been cited in similar accounts. Mango Protocol, developer of Psychotic Adventures Origins, stated publicly that the game passed Nintendo’s approval process nearly a year before their 2024 update but remained unproduced because First Press Games had not resolved a publishing issue with Sony, and that the studio had received no money from preorders taken five years prior.4Kotaku. Chained Echoes Physical Copies Kickstarter First Press Games Lawsuit