While current economic conditions haven't been kind to Stargate Worlds developer Cheyenne Mountain, the company today issued a statement to affirm that the sci-fi PC MMO is still under development and that "the lights here are still on."

The studio has seen a rash of problems in recent months, including issues paying its employees and bills. Combined with a GatesWorld interview in which consultant Brad Wright was pessimistic about the game's future, things looked... Read more

"22 Days," days-since-cheyenne-mountain-employees-have-been-paid.com reads.

The website's authenticity has yet to be confirmed, though the developer behind the PC MMO Stargate Worlds and other unannounced games has admitted that "new economic realities are forcing us to seek out additional sources of funding."

Work is progressing on Stargate Worlds, senior marketing manager Kevin Balentine told Ten Ton Hammer, though his statement did not address rumors of departures:

At Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment, we have always been upfront with the media and our fans that we are a start up. Like many start ups, we face the same cash-flow issues that all pre-revenue companies face. We have maintained a core of dedicated investors, but the new economic realities are forcing us to seek out additional sources of funding and that's what we're doing.

We continue to move forward on the Stargate Worlds project. We recently completed a successful phase of closed beta testing and we will start a second phase early in 2009. We invite all of your readers to come to our site, check out our fantastic community and sign up for our beta.

Publisher FireSky has announced that closed beta testing of Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment's MMORPG Stargate Worlds will start October 15.

People interested in testing can sign up at the Stargate Worlds website. More testers will be added as the beta progresses.

New screenshots were issued as well, those can be found here. Based on the now-cancelled TV shows Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Worlds launches early 2009.