Voidpilots Dispatch #23: Tariffs Ruled Illegal – Production Moving Ahead!
16 days ago
– Thu, Feb 26, 2026 at 02:33:48 PM
Hi everyone,
We finally have some very big news.
Tariff Update: Stability Is Back!
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled the previous tariff framework illegal.
While the administration continues to use tariffs in the short term, they are now capped at 15% and must receive Congressional approval after 150 days. In practical terms, this restores the predictability and guardrails that were missing before.
This is the moment we’ve been waiting for. After months of uncertainty and careful monitoring, we're moving forward with confidence!
Manufacturing Status
Our updated/finalized files have been submitted to our manufacturer and we've selected things like dice and other components. The manufacturer is currently observing a major holiday, so we'll reconnect with them on their return. We expect we'll go through the proofing/sample pass then get the final production and shipping schedule. We’ll share another update once we've put that together.
It feels great to be able to finally turn the page on the tariff situation and focus fully on getting Voidpilot’s Legacy into production.
Thank you for sticking with us. We’re incredibly excited about what comes next!
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #22: All initial manufacturing files submitted for review!
about 2 months ago
– Mon, Jan 26, 2026 at 01:39:50 PM
Hi everyone,
We have a very positive update to share on Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy!
Production Milestone Reached
We were busy over the break, and we’re excited to say that we’ve now submitted all manufacturing files to our publisher for final review. This includes:
- The base game (box, rulebook, cards, and punch markers)
- Kickstarter edition upgrade cards
- The Pirate Expansion
- All physical rewards, including the dice tumbler, logbook, and game mat
This represents a major milestone for the project. We’ve already received initial feedback, and the good news is that there have been onlyminor adjustments needed to align everything with final production requirements.
Rulebook Preview
While you're here, check out the current version of the base game rulebook! As always, this version is still subject to minor production and layout tweaks.
What to look for in the rulebook:
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Pages 1–3: Game Overview and Win Conditions
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Pages 7–16: Turn flow, including heroism, power management, events, resources, upgrades, and ending your run
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Pages 17–26: Enemy encounters and handling combat
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Pages 27–29: Scoring Legacy Points, Legacy Rewards, and Scenarios
What’s Next
The next milestone is receiving final confirmation from the manufacturer that our submitted corrections have been accepted and that they’re ready to move into the sample creation phase.
Once we receive that confirmation, the manufacturer will begin producing physical samples. After samples are complete and reviewed on our end, we’ll be in a position to greenlight the next phase of production.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as we move through each of these steps and will share photos and details as soon as samples are underway.
Backer Survey & Address Check
We’ll also be sending out the backer questionnaire again for anyone who hasn’t completed it yet. If you’ve already filled it out, no action is needed.
This is also a great time to double-check your shipping address in BackerKit, especially if you’ve moved or anticipate moving before fulfillment. Making sure your address is up to date now will help things go smoothly once we’re ready to ship. We'll remind you again before shipping.
Contact BackerKit regarding your pledge if you need any help. We cannot thank them enough! https://www.backerkit.com/contact
Shipping Reminder
As a reminder, when we approach fulfillment, we’ll be collecting shipping fees separately. We’ll make sure to give everyone plenty of notice before any charges occur, just as we’ve outlined previously.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and patience. It’s exciting to see all the pieces coming together, and we’re looking forward to sharing the next steps with you soon.
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #21: End-of-Year Update and Holiday Wishes from the Voidpilot’s Legacy Team!
3 months ago
– Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 06:35:42 AM
Hi everyone,
Happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! As we approach the end of 2025, it’s time for another Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy update.
Tariff Case Update
The tariff case is still awaiting a written decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. While nothing is official until that opinion is released, the indications so far are very encouraging, particularly for small manufacturing projects like ours. The ruling could arrive anytime between now and mid-year, and we’ll update you as soon as we learn more. In the meantime, we’ll continue moving forward where we can.
Manufacturing Progress
We’ve received the complete review of all base game and expansion cards from our manufacturer. The feedback was great, withno major issues identified. We just need to make a few minor adjustments to meet their production requirements. With the cards in good shape, we’re now focused on finalizing the base game instruction manual and box art to align with manufacturing specifications.
Thank You
This will be our final update of the year. Thank you again for your patience, enthusiasm, and continued support. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to sharing more progress with you in the new year.
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #20: October Update & Tariff FAQ
5 months ago
– Wed, Oct 29, 2025 at 01:49:00 PM
Hi everyone,
With Fall in full swing and Halloween approaching, it's time to share an update on Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and patience as we move forward with production and navigate the ongoing tariff situation.
Project News
Tariff Case: U.S. Supreme Court Review Still Scheduled
The big news first: the lawsuit challenging the legality of tariffs is still scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court on November 5th. The ongoing government shutdown may affect that date, but as of now, it remains on the calendar. We’re watching it closely because the outcome could reshape the tariff landscape entirely.
Manufacturing Progress
We’re excited to share that we’ve submitted all main game and Pirate Expansion card files for manufacturer review. This is a major step forward. As we’ve mentioned before, we’re pacing production carefully while we monitor how the tariff situation develops, but it feels great to reach this milestone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many of you have asked great questions about the current situation, so we’ve gathered answers to the most common ones below.
Q: Tariffs have always been around, why is this an issue now?
Normally, tariffs change gradually and with significant government deliberation. Right now, they’re shifting at an unprecedented pace.
As we saw earlier in the year, for our manufacturing partner's country, tariffs increased dramatically past 100% with little to no warning and spiked again during an announced "tariff pause." The instability is the main challenge.
The manufacturing process will take a few months. Tariffs are due when our shipment enters the United States. If the tariff levels are higher than 30% when our game arrives, the project will likely become insolvent.
Q: Can you give an example of how tariffs affect costs?
Yes. Here’s how tariffs affect our original $15,000 shipping quote:
- A tariff of 10% (our anticipated, pre-2025 industry-standard tariff level) costs $1,500, making the shipment total $16,500.
- A tariff of 30% costs $4,500, making the shipment total $19,500.
- A tariff of 100% costs $15,000, making the shipment total $30,000.
- A tariff of 130% costs $19,500, making the shipment total $34,500. (This level was announced to start November 1st.)
For a small studio like ours, that kind of increase isn’t something we can simply absorb. We’re determined to deliver responsibly, which means not moving forward until we can do so safely.
Q: Can’t you just ask backers to pay the tariffs?
As we’ve stated from the start, backers are only responsible for shipping and duties on their own orders.
However, tariffs apply to the entire shipment, not individual orders. That means even if every backer covered duties for their copy, it would only offset a small portion of the total import cost.
We currently have about 240 backers, but we must produce 1,500 units to meet manufacturing requirements. Covering duties for 240 copies would only offset a small fraction of the total cost because the other 1,260 units are part of the same shipment and also incur tariffs.
While each backer will eventually pay shipping and duties on their own order, that alone isn’t enough to make the entire shipment financially viable. We want to make sure we can deliver everyone’s rewards, securely and responsibly, before collecting those fees.
Q: Why don’t you just manufacture fewer units?
We’re producing 1,500 copies of the game because:
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It’s the minimum print quantity required by our overseas manufacturing partner for this type of product.
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Our manufacturer is also producing all of our rewards, allowing us to maintain consistency and quality while simplifying logistics.
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This project is the first product line for our continuing business. From the start, our goal has been to build a sustainable business around the Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™ universe. Retail and wholesale distribution are key to that vision by helping fund future expansions and ensuring this series continues to grow.
We’re proud of the product we’re building, and even though we’ve hit delays, these decisions are setting the foundation for the long-term success of the brand.
Q: Can’t you switch to a manufacturer outside of China?
We’ve explored this, but we’ve already paid a 50% deposit to our overseas partner and invested significant effort in preparing production files to their standards. Switching now would:
- Forfeit about one-third of our Kickstarter funds
- Introduce major delays and possibly render the project insolvent
- Require retooling and reworking assets from scratch
That said, we are researching a U.S.-based backup plan in case the tariff situation remains too risky. We’ll only pivot if we’re confident it’s financially viable and won’t compromise quality or fulfillment.
Q: Other companies are still delivering products. Why can’t you?
We’re happy to see others finding success! However, many of those publishers:
- Have larger budgets or alternate funding sources that allow them to absorb sudden cost increases, or,
- Operate in or ship from countries unaffected by these tariffs
We’re a small, self-funded team. Every dollar goes toward ensuring Voidpilot’s Legacy reaches you in the best possible form and survives as a business after it does.
Q: What about international backers?
We have fewer than 10 international orders. Producing and shipping those separately isn’t possible because the cost of small-batch manufacturing and freight would be extreme. Those orders will be fulfilled alongside the main production once we're manufacturing.
Next Steps
We know the delays have been difficult, but please know we’re not standing still. We’re working to position Voidpilot’s Legacy for a successful launch, whether that’s by refining files, exploring options, or keeping watch on the Supreme Court case that could change everything.
We remain optimistic. The game is awesome, the expansion is thrilling, and we're inspired by your support.
Thank you again for being part of this journey, and for your continued support, encouragement, and patience as we work to get the game into your hands. We’ll keep you informed every step of the way.
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
Voidpilots Dispatch #19: Tariffs and Backup Planning
6 months ago
– Tue, Sep 09, 2025 at 02:47:14 PM
Hi everyone,
It’s time for another update on Chronicles of the Stellar Drive Empire™: Voidpilot’s Legacy. We'll be upfront: the ongoing tariff situation continues to present real challenges for us moving into production and getting the game fulfilled.
Tariff Update: More Instability
Since our last post, things have gotten even more unpredictable on the trade front. The “de minimis” tariff exception, a potential workaround that would have allowed us to import without steep duties, has been rescinded for all countries. On top of that, the entire U.S. tariff framework is now under legal challenge.
In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has just agreed to hear a case that questions the constitutionality of the tariff authority itself, with oral arguments scheduled for November. Frankly, any outcome of the case will result in further instability.
We cannot emphasize this enough: this level of instability is unprecedented. Every time we start moving toward production, the rules shift again. Our primary concern remains the same: we want to make sure we can deliver your game without exposing the project to financial risk that could make fulfillment unsustainable.
Exploring a Backup Plan
Given this continued volatility, we are now actively researching a backup manufacturing plan.
That said, it is important to remember that we have already paid a 50% deposit to our overseas manufacturing partner, and we have invested heavily in adapting to their production systems. If we were to switch now, those funds would be unrecoverable, so any change would need to be carefully evaluated against our remaining budget, logistics, and timelines.
We are gathering quotes and other information so we can make a fully informed decision if we decide to pivot. We will keep you posted as soon as we know more.
We appreciate your continued patience, support, and belief in this project.
Sincerely,
Nick and Alex
