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Dear Backer,

I hope this finds you well and having a great start to 2026!

📦The Pre-Production Copy (PPC) is complete and has been reviewed in detail. All the cards, paper and cardboard components, including the boxes for both editions, look and feel amazing. The feedback from everyone who’s seen them has been extremely positive. There are a few design updates that will be needed and I’ll be working on getting these done as quickly as possible over the next few weeks.

🎲The metal dealer button, advantage tokens and dice have a fantastic look and feel, too. The deluxe crown has turned out even better than I’d hoped and I’m exploring ways to make it the most comfortable to wear. New cloth mat and gift bag samples are expected shortly, with an updated design for the latter to make the printing clearer and more impactful. 

🏭 The special features on the deluxe box are in the process of being finalized and printing issues have been largely resolved. We’ve also spent the last month exploring options to ensure that fabrication of the fabric crown achieves the design intent and becomes a signature component of the game. 

🗓️Once the fabric crown sample has been fabricated, we’ll be able to finalize the production and delivery schedule. The factories will shut down for Chinese New Year, but I expect production to commence upon return. 

🙏We’re getting very close now to being able to sign off on pre-production and enter the next stage of our journey. Thank you again for your unwavering support, which keeps us moving closer and closer to making this dream a reality.

💳 If you’re still getting emails that your survey is incomplete, please click the link and check to make sure you have your credit card details filled in correctly, even if you’ve already been charged, as your survey cannot be completed without them.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please refer to the 2nd half of this update.

Sending you good wishes during these turbulent times and I look forward to providing you with more good news in the next update!

Best regards, 

Jonathan

V2S Games  

Dear Backer,

Spring is well and truly upon us here, down under, and I hope it finds you well.

🏆 Melbourne International Games Week 2025 was a big success, with ~100 people from all across the country playing The King’s Poisoner over 5 days. The King’s Poisoner: The Last Kingdom live tournament that featured in What’s On Melbourne and Beat Magazine received terrific responses and was so much fun—congratulations again to all the prize winners and thanks again to Elder Gods and Dragons and ARC for helping to make it happen!🏅

I’ve included a link to the video I put together (without gen AI; see Backer-Exclusive content below) to introduce the event and the game’s setting, which got everyone very excited 🎉

🏭 Following the festival and local events, the whole focus has been on solving pre-production issues as quickly as possible. The print files have been re-drafted and new samples are expected from Panda before the end of the month for final approval. The fabric, metal and plastic components should follow shortly after, which makes early December our new production target. This means that they’re anticipating being ready for shipping by February next year.

I had truly hoped to be able to deliver the game by Xmas (if not 6 months ago!) but the pre-production challenges, particularly regarding the metal dealer button and the extended survival guide, as well as the support needed for the local events, have made this impossible. I’m impatient, frustrated and disappointed by the delays but am ever grateful for your continued support and remain wholeheartedly committed to delivering this amazing game to you, as soon as humanly possible.

Thank you again for your incredible support and patience, especially as we get closer and closer to being able to hold The King’s Poisoner boxed sets in our hands!

💳 If you’re still getting emails that your survey is incomplete, please click the link and check to make sure you have your credit card details filled in correctly, even if you’ve already been charged, as your survey cannot be completed without them.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please refer to the 2nd half of this update.

I expect to be able to share more production news (and pictures!) with the next update and can’t thank you enough for continuing to be a part of The King’s Poisoner’s journey with me.

Best regards,

Jonathan

V2S Games  

Dear Backer,

I hope this update finds you well and I have some great news!

📜The digital version of The King’s Poisoner Survival Guide has now been fulfilled! Friends of the Court and higher pledge tiers should receive it in their inbox and can read it at their leisure!

It contains everything you need to learn to master the game, with examples, tips and tricks, advanced rules and ways to extend the game to multiple sessions and online play. 

🏭 Preparation for full scale production continues as we make some more necessary design changes to improve producibility and ensure a quality finished product.

🫅 Conquest Games Market has come and gone with slightly fewer numbers due to adverse weather but with great interest for The King’s Poisoner!

🏆 The King’s Poisoner: The Last Kingdom live tournament (inspired by the TV series of the subtitular name) has been accepted into the Melbourne International Games Week festival and will be held at the new venue Elder Gods and Dragons, tickets are on sale now with lots of prizes and giveaways! 🏅

We’ll also be running single session games of The King’s Poisoner at PAX Aus at the Table with our friends at ARC, as well as additional sessions at Elder Gods and Dragons, check our website for details.

💳 There are still a handful of surveys that remain incomplete. Please make sure you have your credit card details filled in correctly, even if you’ve already been charged, as these will be needed for shipping once production is complete and your survey cannot be completed without them.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please refer to the 2nd half of this update.

I hope to have even more exciting news and progress with the next update and thank you again for your incredible patience and support.

Best regards, 

Jonathan

V2S Games  

Dear Backer,

I hope you’re well and keeping warm (winter is coming down under) and thank you so much for your continued support!

🏭 Good news! The changes to the Survival Guide are almost complete and a digital copy will be sent with the next update, as well as an updated timeline🎉

🫅 Conquest, Tabletop Open Day, and TabletopCon25 in the Gold Coast last weekend, were amazing! We introduced over two hundred new players to The King’s Poisoner to emphatic reviews and people are already asking if we’ll be back next year. 

A big thank you to Lisa and Bryce, John and Helen, Anthony, Shannon, Dylan, Riley and Dean, and everyone else who pitched in, for putting on such wonderful events and helping to spread the word!🎺 👑

🏆 Another King of King’s Poisoner tournament will be scheduled in the coming months, as well as more games with our friends from Pause Menu. Be sure to check their website for more details, prizes and giveaways! 🏅

💳 There are still a handful of surveys that remain incomplete. Please make sure you have your credit card details filled in correctly, even if you’ve already been charged, as these will be needed for shipping once production is complete and your survey cannot be completed without them.

If you have any questions or run into any issues, please refer to the 2nd half of the update at this link.

It’s taking a bit longer than we expected, but I’m so excited by how things are now progressing and I think this game is going to be very special! 

Looking forward to providing more news and progress with the next update and thank you again for your wonderful patience and support.

Best regards, 

Jonathan

V2S Games