System 3 Shifts Last Ninja to Evercade After Antstream Dispute Delays PlayStation and Xbox Versions

System 3 CEO Mark Cale has detailed the collapse of the company's partnership with Antstream over The Last Ninja Collection, a crowdfunded project that remains only partially delivered two years after its Kickstarter campaign concluded.

Antstream, the developer contracted to bring the collection to PS4, PS5 and Xbox, has informed System 3 it will no longer work on those versions "under the existing arrangements" and cited "changing market conditions" as a factor. The delay has left thousands of backers without the console releases they funded.

The breakdown extends beyond the original collection. Antstream was also tasked with creating an Ultimate edition celebrating System 3's broader legacy, featuring games such as Myth, Flimbo's Quest, Vendetta, Tusker and Fuzzball. That project, intended for 2027 release, has not begun development according to Cale.

"The work needed to make that possible has not been delivered by Antstream," Cale said. "My concern is not that it has other projects, but that the work we commissioned remains outstanding and is almost two years late."

Cale noted that Antstream recently released the Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection on 24 September in collaboration with Commodore, while System 3's projects languished. "I no longer had confidence that we could rely on the original arrangements with Antstream to deliver the Ultimate Pack as envisaged," he explained.

The impasse centers on technical assets. System 3 requested either the source code or compiled binary materials from Antstream to facilitate a developer handover, but those materials were not supplied. Without them, another studio cannot simply continue the existing work.

This prompted System 3 to pursue an alternative with Blaze Entertainment, the company behind the Evercade handheld. "We began discussions with Blaze Entertainment about an alternative route," Cale said. "We have asked Antstream for the source code of The Last Ninja Collection or, at a minimum, the relevant compiled binary materials needed for a development handover. Those materials have still not been supplied."

System 3 has obtained binary files and source material through a separate arrangement with Blaze and is working with Evercade's emulation partners to port the games to additional platforms. The Last Ninja and James Pond collections were recently announced for Evercade.

However, Cale emphasized that Evercade versions do not represent the same product as the planned PlayStation and Xbox releases. "This does not mean an Evercade cartridge can simply be turned into a PlayStation or Xbox release," he said. "There is still development, testing and platform approval work to complete. What it gives us is another way forward, rather than leaving everything dependent on obtaining a handover from Antstream."

The Evercade collections also contain fewer games and lack bonus features planned for console versions, such as the Pondverse museum in The James Pond Legacy.

Cale acknowledged the frustration for backers who have waited far longer than expected. "Explanations are not a substitute for receiving the rewards you backed," he said. "I am sorry for that. Antstream failed in their contracted delivery dates."

System 3 is continuing discussions with Antstream to resolve outstanding issues and is considering options regarding potential contractual breaches. Cale's stated priority is completing the collection for backers rather than pursuing an extended legal dispute.

"The relationship with Evercade and its emulation partners is part of finding a way forward. It is not a replacement for this Kickstarter, and it does not release System 3 from its responsibilities to you," Cale concluded.