In the gaming industry, it often happens that well-known companies lose talented developers, who then go on to create new studios. This is a natural process. The problem is that keeping track of all the projects being developed by former employees of popular companies is not easy — especially considering that they often work on new IP. That’s why we decided to gather the most intriguing of these games in one article, so you won’t miss anything.
The French studio Sandfall Interactive was founded by former Ubisoft employees. Their debut role-playing game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, is set to release on April 24.
The project is primarily intriguing due to its story. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tells an unusual tale of a group of heroes trying to prevent a mysterious mass extinction event. This horrific occurrence repeats annually, each time claiming the lives of younger and younger individuals.
The combat system in Clair Obscur is turn-based, but the developers have introduced interesting mechanics to make it feel dynamic — for example, the ability to parry enemy attacks in real time. You can read more about this and other gameplay features in our detailed preview.
The release of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is just around the corner. Are you planning to play it?
Take the pollFormer CD Projekt RED developers are working on a vampire RPG called The Blood of Dawnwalker. The new studio, Rebel Wolves, includes key creators of The Witcher trilogy, among them Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, director of the third installment.
The creators of The Blood of Dawnwalker warn that players should not expect the same amount of content as in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but they do promise a similar level of quality — and innovation. One standout feature is the concept that time is a limited resource: it is impossible to complete all quests in a single playthrough. This forces players to make tough decisions about whom to help and whom to ignore. More details can be found in our recent article.
Archetype Entertainment is a new studio founded by BioWare veterans. Among its members are industry legends such as James Ohlen, who worked on Baldur's Gate and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, as well as Drew Karpyshyn, writer of the first two Mass Effect games.
The company is currently working on a sci-fi RPG called Exodus — a spiritual successor to Mass Effect. The game is expected to feature third-person shooting, melee combat, world exploration, and social interactions. The story revolves around a unique concept of time manipulation, allowing players to see how their decisions impact the universe across years, decades, and even centuries.
At The Game Awards 2023, Archetype Entertainment announced a collaboration with actor Matthew McConaughey, but no details have been revealed about his role yet.
OnceLost Games was founded by Ted Peterson and Julian Lefay — the creators of The Elder Scrolls series. Their new game, The Wayward Realms, is heavily inspired by TES, particularly Daggerfall.
The game world consists of over a hundred islands where various factions fight for power and influence. Players can explore large cities, smaller settlements, and, of course, dungeons — a must for any successor to TES. As expected, there will be a variety of races with unique traits: humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and more. The developers promise that player freedom will be a top priority in The Wayward Realms.
Something Wicked Games announced its first game back at gamescom 2022, but since then, there have been few updates on the development of Wyrdsong. The project is being worked on by a promising team consisting of former employees of Bethesda, Obsidian, and BioWare. They are creating a dark RPG set in an alternate medieval Portugal, where players will unravel a complex story that blurs the line between reality and illusion.
Unfortunately, the limited updates about Wyrdsong are not reassuring. Something Wicked Games is facing financial difficulties, and some employees have already left the company.
A division of 4A Games split from its Malta office and became the independent studio Reburn. The team previously worked on Metro Exodus.
Reburn's new game will be a shooter called La Quimera. It is set in a future South America where nations have fragmented into microstates reliant on private military companies. Players (or teams, as La Quimera will feature co-op) can customize their exoskeletons and weapons for different combat scenarios. Customization will be key to adapting to various enemy types, from agile and aggressive foes to heavily armored elite fighters.
Recently, VG Entertainment (formerly Vostok Games) showcased seven minutes of gameplay from Forest Reigns. Vostok Games was founded by the creators of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy, and Forest Reigns feels like a return to their roots.
It’s a single-player story-driven shooter set in post-apocalyptic Paris, where players must survive in extreme conditions. In Forest Reigns, mutated plants react to player actions, creating tactical opportunities — grass can turn into cover when shot, certain bushes reflect bullets, and some plant fruits explode like grenades.
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When experienced developers leave major studios to form their own teams, they gain the opportunity to fully unleash their creative potential. There’s no need to conform to publisher-imposed ideas or the tight constraints of established franchises. However, too much freedom can sometimes become a trap, especially when ambition outweighs actual capabilities. That’s why we hope the creators of the projects mentioned in this article find the right balance — so their dreams ultimately turn into vibrant and successful releases.
Let us know in the comments which of the mentioned games caught your interest. And if none did — why not?
Which project looks the most promising?
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