Double Fine sets $100 million Kickstarter stretch goal to make Brutal Legend 2

Double Fine has announced that it will make a sequel to its 2009 action-strategy game Brutal Legend, but only if fans can raise $100 million through a new Kickstarter campaign. The figure, listed as a stretch goal in the campaign for the studio’s Amnesia Fortnight game jam, is a deliberately ambitious target that far exceeds any previous crowdfunding record.

The Kickstarter itself is for Amnesia Fortnight, a long-running internal event at Double Fine where developers spend two weeks creating prototypes. Backers who contribute funds earn voting rights, allowing them to choose which prototypes advance. Four of the selected prototypes will then compete in a final vote, and the winner will be developed into a full, albeit small, game. The campaign is asking for $400,000 and has already raised over $290,000 with 29 days remaining, making it likely to reach its primary goal.

A range of 30-second pitch videos are available for potential backers to review, showcasing ideas such as Emergency Foley Artist, a Jackbox-style party game focused on adding sound effects to scenes, and Uprise, a kite-flying kart racer that involves fighting off alien invaders. As with previous Amnesia Fortnight events, a documentary will be produced covering the process.

However, the stretch goal that has captured the most attention is the $100 million target to produce Brutal Legend 2. The original Brutal Legend, released in 2009, was a unique blend of action and strategy that drew inspiration from music games like Guitar Hero. Its cast included Jack Black, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford, Lita Ford, and the late Ozzy Osbourne and Tim Curry. The game’s launch was preceded by a legal dispute over publishing rights between Electronic Arts and Double Fine on one side and Activision Blizzard on the other, which was eventually settled.

The $100 million figure likely reflects the cost of developing a sequel without the financial backing of a major publisher. Double Fine is now an independent studio again, having been acquired by Microsoft in 2019 and later regaining its independence. The studio has also recently secured the rights to its back catalogue. The lofty goal is seen by many as a playful but sincere statement of intent, acknowledging that while the odds of reaching it are slim, the studio is willing to commit to the project if the funding materialises.

The most successful Kickstarter project to date raised just under $47 million, for a 3D printer, meaning the $100 million target would more than double that record. Observers note that the goal is almost certainly unreachable, but the campaign itself offers a range of other interesting prototypes that could be turned into games if the primary goal is met.

Double Fine’s Amnesia Fortnight concept began in 2007, and previous prototypes that became full releases include Costume Quest and the Psychonauts 2 brain world Compton’s Cook-off. The studio’s return to independence has also prompted interest in how the documentary will address the change in ownership and the layoffs that occurred after the split from Microsoft.