Cash and Burn

How a Halifax venture capitalist sold Hollywood on a made-in-Nova Scotia video game, burned through millions in government money, and left behind a trail of jilted investors.
Two Waddell Avenue in Dartmouth

Two Waddell Avenue in Dartmouth, NS, where James Drage maintained offices for several companies. It was here that the promise of a multi-million dollar venture began to unravel.

The story of Orpheus Interactive is a cautionary tale of local ambition meeting global hype. What began as a pitch for a Sons of Anarchy video game quickly descended into a complex web of financial strain and broken promises.

Despite significant backing from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), the project stalled, leaving behind more questions than lines of code. For the local employees, it meant months of unpaid wages; for the investors, it meant a complete loss of capital.