Draw Steel Pulls in Another $2.6 Million as the D&D Alternative Expands Its World
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Tabletop RPG alternative Draw Steel secures $2.6 million in its latest crowdfunding campaign, bringing new campaigns, custom ancestries, and community-driven content to players throughout 2026.
Tabletop role-playing alternative Draw Steel is continuing its strong momentum, pulling in an impressive $2.6 million in its latest crowdfunding campaign dubbed Crack the Sun. Publisher MCDM, led by Matt Colville, originally launched the project as a direct response to industry friction over the Open Gaming License, quickly building a dedicated player base. This newest round of funding, which wrapped up on Jan. 5, will deliver a fresh book of encounters, an epic-length campaign, and new character options throughout the year. Colville noted that roughly a third of the backers from their massive 2024 launch returned for this second wave, proving that players are eager for robust alternatives in the tabletop space.
Rather than relying on closed-door development, MCDM is heavily leaning into community input to shape future content. The team pitched nearly twenty adventure ideas to their backers to determine release priorities, leading to the selection of Crack the Sun, a five-act campaign set in Equinox. This new setting functions as a jungle-inspired take on classic dark fantasy, backed by the Between Sun Shadow supplement which introduces unique playable ancestries like ratfolk, faeries, and brightly camouflaged, fungus-covered gnomes.
Beyond new lore and environments, the campaign is expanding player toolkits with fresh classes like the animal-companion-focused Beast Heart. MCDM is already prototyping additional archetypes such as the mech-focused Operator and the Acolyte, signaling a steady stream of content for the community. With the vast majority of players preferring to build custom homebrew worlds rather than strictly follow preset lore, MCDM is taking the freedom to experiment wildly with monsters, mechanics, and adventures. Read the full story on Polygon.
Tags: Tabletop Games, Draw Steel, Crowdfunding, TRPG, MCDM
Original article: Polygon