In surprise move, Wargames Atlantic founder reveals secret identity and repays old debts

In a move that has stunned the tabletop miniatures community, Wargames Atlantic has announced it will refund all backers of the failed 2013 Kickstarter for 28mm Power Armor Hardsuits by the long-defunct Defiance Games. The announcement came with a second, equally significant revelation: the founder of Wargames Atlantic, known to the public as Hudson Adams, is in fact Tony Reidy, the same entrepreneur behind Defiance Games and its predecessor, Wargames Factory.

The move aims to close a controversial chapter in wargaming history that left 686 backers without their products and over $46,000 out of pocket more than a decade ago. In a candid blog post, Reidy detailed a fraught history of business dealings, personal financial ruin, and his motivations for making good on the old project under his new, successful company.

Tony Reidy, founder of Wargames Atlantic, said in the post,

I wanted to redeem myself. I wanted to build something on my own the way I knew it should be done. I wanted someday – once the company was built up – to be able to release the Defiance stuff and make the Kickstarter whole.”

The story connects three companies over nearly two decades, charting a course through the volatile business of plastic miniature production. To clarify the long and complex history, Geek Native has assembled this timeline.

A Timeline of Failure and Redemption

• 2007: Tony Reidy establishes Wargames Factory, an early competitor to Games Workshop in the hard plastic historical miniatures space.
• 2010: Facing production issues, Reidy enters a partnership that results in him losing control of Wargames Factory to the owner of his Chinese production facility. He is eventually forced out of the company he founded.
• Circa 2011/2012: Reidy launches a new venture, Defiance Games, in an attempt to continue his vision. The new company is beset by production problems and escalating costs.
• September 2013: Defiance Games launches a Kickstarter for 28mm Power Armor Hardsuits. The campaign is successful, raising $46,492 from 686 backers.
• Post-Kickstarter: According to Reidy, a planned investor takeover of Defiance Games falls through, leaving him solely responsible for the Kickstarter funds amid overwhelming personal and business debts.
• Circa 2014: Reidy files for bankruptcy, the Defiance Games project collapses, and the Kickstarter is never fulfilled.
• 2018: Wargames Atlantic is founded, with its public face being the pseudonymous Hudson Adams. The company quickly builds a reputation for producing high-quality, affordable plastic kits.
• October 2025: Tony Reidy reveals his identity as Hudson Adams and announces that Wargames Atlantic will refund the 2013 Defiance Games Kickstarter backers.

Reidy explained that he adopted the pseudonym to escape the negative reputation associated with the failure of his previous companies, which he alleges was fueled by a smear campaign. He states, “I had to hide who I was to do it, and I hated doing that and not being upfront with people, but it allowed me to show who I REALLY was through what I’ve built at Atlantic.”

Backers of the original Defiance Games campaign are being offered a full refund via PayPal or wire transfer. Alternatively, they can opt for a voucher for the Wargames Atlantic webstore worth 150% of their original pledge. The company has set up a dedicated email address for backers to submit their claims.

Via Wargames Atlantic.