What are Embracer Group working on - A look at their studios
The Embracer Group is likely only a name you hear, whenever the companies buys another developer, but contained within their group is Gearbox, Plaion, THQ Nordic, Sabre Interactive and more.
Given the sheer number of studios they have, let’s just jump right in
Amplifier Game Invest
A Creative Endeavor - Feb 2022
Series known to them: Hooked Inc
Early last year, this Swedish based mobile developer was obtained by Embracer, making them the first fully mobile company to be bought out by the studio. Their biggest game is Hooked Inc, but they have more games out as well. Given that they are a mobile developer, any release that happens this year, will likely happen randomly.
DestinyBit
Series known to them: Dice Legacy
In 2021 this Italian developer released Dice Legacy, which combined the strategy of a RTS game, with the randomness of a dice game. As the studio is small, they spent most of 2022 doing content updates and patches for the game. As such it is possible they might have something new to show off this year, but it is unlikely to release in 2023.
Frame Break
Series known to them: Lightyear Frontier
Currently the folks at Frame Break are working on Lightyear Frontier, a survival game that has you landing on an alien planet, where you must then grow crops, explore the world and survive. The game is still in active development and is due to release into early access sometime in the Autumn months, but there is nothing more beyond that. Expect the studio to only be talking about this game in 2023.
Framebunker
Series known to them: Unknown
While the Embracer Group list this studio, which was founded by one of the co-creators of Unity, there nothing for them online. Their social channel is dead, as is the website, LinkedIn page and just about every other mention you can find. If the company still exists, then whatever they are working on is a complete mystery.
Goose Byte Games
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
A new studio that formed in Montreal, Canada. Goose Byte Games is still developing their first game and are still actively hiring for it, there is no public information on what the game is though. Given they have been around for a few years now, a reveal this year is possible.
Green Tile Digital
Series known to them: Strobophagia | Rave Horror
The studios only published game was Strobophagia | Rave Horror, which released back in 2020 and since then the studio has announced they are working on something new, but have not said what it is. The studio has been looking for people for the game, so a reveal this year may not be on the cards.
Infinite Mana Games - aug 2022
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
One of the acquisitions last year, this is working on a new game currently called ‘Expeditions’. The game is billed as an isometric action RPG, but is meant to have a twist. As the studio is still very much in the growing stages, don’t expect anything from them this year.
Invisible Walls - mar 2022
Series known to them: First Class Trouble
The biggest title from the studio is First Class Trouble, a game where you must work to stop to replicants from taking down a luxury cruise spaceship. The game has been out for around 18 months now, but the studio have been keeping support for it going with updates and fixes. There is no word on if the studio is working on anything new, but it might be possible.
Kavalri Games
Series known to them: Equestrian the Game
A developer that was created by someone who loves horses and wanted to make games about them. The game released on mobile devices last year and kept new content and updates coming throughout the year. There is no word on if they were now working on a new game, but expect updates to continue for this one.
Misc Games
Series known to them: The Fishing series
A Norwegian developer who specialises in games that allow you to take to the waters in large ships, their popular titles are Fishing: North Atlantic and Fishing: Barents Sea. The studio spent a lot of last year developing updates for North Atlantic, but the game is now approaching 3 years of age, so something new might be on the horizon, maybe a new ocean to explore. We will just have to wait and see.
Palindrome Interactive
Series known to them: Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars
The studio released their first game back in 2020 and have kept updates for Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars going since then. Last year saw confirmation that they were working on a new project, but there has been nothing released at this time. Given the time frame between the first release and now, a reveal of the new game could be on the cards for this year.
Plucky Bytes
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
Founded back in 2022, the studio has not released a game yet, but are apparently working on something.
Rare Earth Games
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
The studio is currently working on a new multiplayer game, but there is nothing revealed about it anywhere.
River End Games
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
Founded back in 2020, the studio is working on their first game, which is said to be a story-driven, single-player stealth/puzzle game. Details beyond that are non-existent, but the studio is hiring still.
Tarsier Studios
Series known to them: Little Nightmares series, The Stretchers
Likely the most well known studio in the group, Tarsier Studios got worldwide attention when they shipped Little Nightmares and then even more when they made the Nintendo published, The Stretchers. Little Nightmares 2 released soon after and also gained a lot of attention, but since then they have been pretty quiet. The studio is working on something new, with teases for it hitting social media last year, but beyond still hiring for the new game, there is nothing else for it. Given that Little Nightmares 2 has been out for a few years, a reveal of their next game this year is quite likely.
Vermila Studios
Series known to them: Crisol: Theather of Idols
The studio is currently developing their debut title, Crisol: Theather of Idols which is described as a first-person horror experience. The studio is seeking new staff for it, so there is no telling how far along the game is in development, so if we get anything this year, it will likely be just a new trailer.
Zapper Games
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
Founded back in 2021, this is the only American studio on the list. Sadly there are no details on their debut game, but they are still hiring, so it could be a while.
CDE Entertainment
Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics - aug 2022
Series known to them: Legacy of Kain, Tomb Raider
When Square Enix sold off all the studios in the group to Embracer, many folks were shocked. Part of the deal though was that they would get control of all their IP. Since then the studio has announced that they are working on a new Tomb Raider game, with Amazon Games doing the publishing. In addition we know that they are also working on Perfect Dark for Xbox Game Studios, alongside The Initiative, but details on that one are scarce. Given many are hoping for a full reveal of Perfect Dark this year, us included, we should see their name more as the year goes on. Oh and they still are updating their Avengers game. The studio also celebrated 30 years in 2022, so if you have a spare 2hrs, enjoy the below documentary from the talented folks at NoClip.
Crystal Northwest - aug 2022
Series known to them: Marvel’s Avengers
Opened in 2018, the studio works on games alongside the main office, and they have been assisting with the development and post release of Marvel’s Avengers. There is no word on if they are doing anything on their own, or supporting the work on
Crystal Southwest - aug 2022
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
Started up in 2021, the Southwest studio is another support studio for the company, which gives them more staff to work on more titles.
Eidos-Montréal
Eidos-Montréal - aug 2022
Series known to them: Deus Ex, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy
2022 was a quiet year for the studio, as in late 2021 they shipped Guardians of the Galaxy and while it was a slow launch, it did get plenty of attention as the weeks ticked by. They did talk up machine learning, AI and other interesting topics last year, but how that connects to their games is unknown. This year will mark 12 years since the release of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, so hearing something about that series would be very welcome, but there is just nothing to go by. They are hiring though, with jobs across a number of disciplines, so it might be too soon to hear about their next game, but hope exists for a reason.
Eidos-Sherbrooke - aug 2022
Series known to them: Nothing
A support studio to the main Montreal office, this Quebec based group spent 2022 working on whatever they have coming up next, but like the main group, there is nothing known yet.
gearbox entertainment
Gearbox Software
Series known to them: Borderland series, Brothers in Arms series
2022 was a busy year for Gearbox, they released a small game called Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands and a host of DLC for said game, but that was really all they had. 2022 was meant to be when we saw the Borderlands movie, but that was delayed and reports are showing that the director Eli Roth has now stepped away to work on something else and Deadpool Director Tim Miller has stepped in. If all that wasn’t enough, they also released the long awaited sequel New Tales from the Borderlands, so you can see why I said it was a packed year.
As for 2023, well the group is already off to a big start, with the company buying up Captured Dimensions, a 3D scanning and VFX house. But that is a more general Gearbox Entertainment purchase, Gearbox Software, well that is a complete mystery. The studio usually shows at at PAX East in Boston, which takes place March 24th to the 27th, so until that show, expect radio silence.
Gearbox Studio Québec
Series known to them: Borderlands series
The Québec arm of Gearbox Studios were the folks that lead the development on New Tales from the Borderlands, as well as supporting Tiny Tina last year, so they were fairly busy. Sadly though, until the credits roll on the next Gearbox title, we may not know what they are working on and even then its a stretch. Also, we won’t learn of any projects until PAX East.
Gearbox Studio Montreal
Series known to them: Nothing yet
The studio has been up and running for around 18 months now and while early reports said they would be working on Borderlands in some form, there has been no word on if that is actually happening. We know that the studio is looking for a number of roles across a variety of disciplines, but that is all we know. Like the others, once PAX East roles around, we might learn more about what is going on.
Gearbox Studio Shanghai - aug 2022
Series known to them: Nothing yet
The Shanghai arm of Gearbox Studios was only started up in August 2022, but that is a bit of a lie, as they were known as Eidos Shanghai before that and with Eidos getting picked up by Embracer, the name change was made. What is interesting is that the studio will not report into Gearbox Software, but rather Gearbox Publishing, specifically their San Francisco office.. and speaking of…
Gearbox Publishing San Francisco
Series known to them: None
As a publishing house they don’t develop games on their own, but they help other developers get things out there. The titles they work with the most are Star Trek Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. In terms of upcoming titles, Hyper Light Breaker, Have A Nice Death and Remnant 2 are all being handled by this office.
Something interesting happened in 2022, Perfect Entertainment was renamed to be Gearbox Publishing, which is why Star Trek Online is managed out of here.
Gearbox Publishing
Series known to them: None
The main office of Gearbox Publishing oversees titles like Tribes of Midgard, which launched on more platforms last year and Blanc. The group is also helping get Homeworld 3 out the door, which slipped from its planned late 2022 release, until sometime in the first half of 2023.
Perfect World Entertainment
Series known to them: Remnant: From the Ashes, Torchlight series
2022 saw the end of the era for Perfect World Entertainment, as they were rebranded to be Gearbox Publishing, specifically given the moniker San Francisco.
Cryptic Studios
Series known to them: Star Trek Online, Neverwinter Online
2022 saw Cryptic Studios release a lot of content for both Star Trek Online and Neverwinter Online, keeping the trend they have for a few years now. Their often overlooked Champions Online also got new content, keeping players of the free-to-play title happy.
As both Star Trek and Neverwinter got big updates in 2022, there is likely no chance of major updates this year. That being said, Neverwinter did drop its second part of a three part update in December 2022, so the final part should come sometime this year, its size is unknown though.
Volition
Series known to them: Nothing yet
2022 was meant to be a big year for Volition, as they were launching the reboot of Saints Row and while I had no issues during my review, other players did encounter a lot of problems. Since the games launch they have been hard at work to get the countless issues resolved. At the end of the year, something unprecedented happened for Embracer, they moved Volition from Deep Silver to Gearbox Entertainment, something they had never done before.
Given the lacklustre sales and the issues with the game, guessing where the title is going from here is hard to gauge. They could spend another six months patching things up and then dropping the game or they could keep trying to reboot it.. though can you reboot a reboot? In any event, I would not expect to see a new game from them anytime soon.
Lost Boys Interactive
Series known to them: Nothing yet
Lost Boys Interactive may not be a name you know, but they have worked on some big series, like Borderlands and Call of Duty. The studio was picked up by Gearbox last year and will continue to operate as they have been, as a studio for hire. Given they tend to work with other companies on projects, they have no public information on what game/s they might be working on.
Plaion
Deep Silver
Dambuster Studios
Series known to them: Homefront: The Revolution
Last year we got the full reveal of the new Dead Island 2, a series that the studio was handed after Homefront failed to find its audience. Wit that reveal and a February release, things were looking up for the studio, however the series appears to be cursed as the game was hit with a 12 week delay last year.
It is currently on track for its now late April release, but with that being the only thing from the studio at this time, expect them to be all in on that, until it ships. The studio have announced an expansion pass for the title, so expect to see more content once the game does release, but there is no word on what it will contain.
Fishlabs
Series known to them: Galaxy on Fire series, Chorus
After launching Chorus in 2021, the series got a few updates throughout 2022, but the developer was mostly quiet on what they were working on.
The studio is actively hiring for their new game, including level and game designers, the latter focusing on combat, but beyond that, we know nothing. If the studio can ship a game every 2.5 years, then we may here something this year, but I would bet its just a trailer and more will come next year.
Free Radical Design
Series known to them: Timesplitters series
In 2021 Deep Silver announced that the Free Radical Design founders were raising the studio from the dead and would be developing a new Timespliters game. Since that announcement though, the studio has been radio silent on things, in fact their only social account is LinkedIn and they have three posts on it, one of which is a ‘Merry Christmas’ post.
Given the studio is still looking for staff, it would not surprise me if the next Timesplitters is not going to release until next year at the earliest. Given the developers less than stellar few years, from Haze onwards, I would expect they will not show anything, until they know its solid. If Deep Silver host a showcase this year, we might get a tease, but nothing is pointing towards anything more.
DigixArt
Series known to them: Road 96
After releasing Road 96 in 2021, the studio has been pretty silent on what is next. They are only a small group, with around 30 staff on board, so they are not going to be pumping out content anytime soon. That said, we know their next project will be made on Unreal Engine 5, for what purpose we don’t know. The roles they have been hiring for recently are gameplay programmers and game director, so the odds of us seeing anything soon are quite unlikely.
Flying Wild Hog
Flying Wild Hog
Series known to them: Shadow Warrior series, Evil West
2022 was a big year for Flying Wild Hog, they not only shipped Shadow Warrior 3 and Trek to Yomi, they also ended the year by releasing Evil West. The original studio is where Evil West was developed and with that only releasing late last year, the odds of them having anything to to show this year are slim.
Flying Wild Hog Cracow
Series known to them: Space Punks
2022 saw the Cracow studio release Space Punks, which is a top-down full action role-playing game (ARPG) set in an irreverent sci-fi universe, where players blast their way to fame and fortune by earning easy money in extremely dangerous ways.
As the game is still in its Open Beta phase, updates are happening all the time. With that in mind, expect the studio to be focusing on that in 2023.
Flying Wild Hog Rzeszów
Series known to them: Trek to Yomi
This was the studio that lead the charge on Trek to Yomi, but with that shipped the studio has started on something new, but they are being coy about what it is.
Milestone srl
Series known to them: MotoGP series, Monster Energy Supercross series
2022 was a decent year for Milestone, they shipped plenty of new content for Hot Wheels Unleashed, dropped MotoGP 22, SBK22 and Monster Energy Supercross 5.
The studio has already confirmed that Monster Energy Supercross 6 is coming in 2023, on March 9 specifically, but beyond that there are no confirmations. However given the studio tends to make the same games each year, expect to see new entries in some of them, say MotoGP 23 for example.
Prime Matter
Series known to them: Various
Not a developer persay, but a publisher for new developers, they helped ship 9 games across all platforms in 2022. 2023 though should be even bigger for the studio as Payday 3 is coming, the System Shock remake is on track to release soon and Scars Above is shaping up for an end of year release.
Where things are a little more unknown are with Painkiller, which was announced sometime ago and Kingdom Come: Deliverance for Switch, which was announced back in 2021. Both games are MIA right now and fans are hoping to get updates on both, sooner rather than later.
Ravenscourt
Series known to them: Let’s Sing series
Last year saw Ravenscourt help publish a good half dozen titles, including more entries in their Let’s Sing series. We know that the publisher has Kona II: Brume coming to all platforms sometime in 2023, but beyond that who knows. Ok, well we know that Let’s Sing 2024 will come sometime this year, the series hasn’t missed a beat in a while, beyond that though, that is unknown.
Warhorse Studios
Series known to them: Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Honestly, this studio is riding the coat tails of the one game they have released in the now 12 years they have been around. Kingdom Come: Deliverance was a Kickstarter success and did gain an audience, but they have not announced anything new, outside of the long gestating Switch port. Hopefully that changes this year, but I said the same last year.
Vertigo Games
Vertigo Arcade
Series known to them: Arizona Sunshine LB VR, Ghost Patrol VR
You may not know this part of the Vertigo group, given that they tend to focus on VR experiences where you can wear a headset and then walk around a massive space. While we have companies here in Australia that offer that already, these guys have not yet set up shop here and as of the time of writing there are no plans for that to change, their games however may come on their own.
Vertigo Publishing
Series known to them: Various
Like other publishing arms in this group, these guys don’t make games, they just help others do it and get them out into players hands. 2023 will see them work with Carbon Studios to bring The Wizards series into VR and Toss VR from Agera Games.
Vertigo Studios
Series known to them: After the Fall, Arizona Sunshine
2022 saw the group release a number of games onto Oculus Quest 2, including Maskmaker, but they also dropped some of their titles on Pico 4, another VR platform. Anyone who picks up a PlayStation VR2 headset when they release, can enjoy After The Fall, refreshed for the headset. Beyond that though, they have titles like Hellsweeper VR and PathCraft on the way.
Force Field
Series known to them: Landfall, Time Stall, Coaster Combat
After their purchase, the studio was rebranded as just Vertigo Studios, so they are now included in the group above.
sabre interactive
34BigThings
Series known to them: Redout series
2022 saw the studio release Redout II, just like they planned to and they then spent the rest of the year working on countless updates for all the platforms.
3D Realms
Series known to them: Duke Nukem series
The makers of Duke Nukem helped release a new game in Graven in November of last year. 2023 should see more titles come from this legendary company, with Phantom Fury being one of them. Wrath: Aeon of Ruin is aiming to release sometime in the Autumn months, but there is no firmer date than that at this time. Beyond those games, the studio is also working on SiN: Reloaded, Combustion, Tempest Rising and more, so they could have a loaded year.
4A Games
Series known to them: Metro series
2022 was not a good year for 4A Games, they were working on their next title after Metro Exodus, but those plans were disrupted when their Kyiv office was evacuated when Russia invaded Ukraine.
The studios next game is hiring staff still from AI designers to 3D artists and technical directors. However given the state of things in their home, delays for the project are to be expected, so we wait and hope that they can all be safe soon.
Aspyr
Aspyr Media
Series known to them: Various
After a few years where they pumped out ports of Star Wars games, 2022 was not a great year for Aspyr, because in August the development of the Knights of the Old Republic Remake was taken from them. Before all that happened, they did manage to release a few more Switch Star Wars ports, but all that was overshadowed by them losing the big game.
In 2023 their plans are very much unknown, the studio was expecting to be working full time on KOTOR, but without that, what they are doing now is unknown. We know they are helping with the Leader Pass DLC for Civilization VI that launched late last year, specifically with the Mac and Linux versions, but that won’t require much effort, at least once they fix the bugs they put in the game.
Beamdog - apr 2022
Series known to them: Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition, Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition
Beamdog gained attention when they started to refresh some classic Bioware RPGs, bringing them to console for the first time as well. In April of 2022 the studio released MythForce into early access and the day after the publishing deal was announced, they got bought up by Embracer. Their plans for 2023 will be to keep making content for MythForce and getting the game out in full.
Bytex
Series known to them: Berserk series
For many years the studio was known as the creators of the Berserk series of games, but lately the studio has pivoted to being a testing house, providing support for other developers, including companies like Wargaming. They are looking for more staff to join the already 250+ that they have, but again all of that is for QA work.
Demiurge Studios
Series known to them: Various
Not a studio known to creating their own IP, they tend to support development of other brands and over the years have touched Rock Band, Brothers in Arms and a few more. The most recent game that the studio has worked on was Rocket League: Sideswipe, which released for mobile in 2021.
The studio announced that they have three new projects in the works, one is a game being developed in conjunction with Riot Games, the other is an all-new title developed entirely in house. The third game is something being built with Bad Robot Games, the studio that JJ Abrams founded, the strange part is that the game is not the Silent Hill title that was announced last year, it is something else. With the studio working on those three titles, expect them to be busy all year long, the reveal of any of them though, could come at anytime.
Digic Pictures
Series known to them: None
This is not a studio that makes games, no they are the folks that make trailers and opening animations for games, one their more recent was that of the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla intro movie. In addition to their games work, the studio also provides visual effects support for movies, and tv commercials and with all that work very tightly contained, if they are doing anything more, we have no idea what it could be.
Fractured Byte
Series known to them: Brother: A Tale of Two Sons
As a studio they have only released one title, Brother: A Tale of Two Sons and that was back in 2019, but the studio has provided support work to other games like Borderlands and Tony Hawk, both for Switch.
Their website indicates they are hiring for a new game, with 3D animators and artists being sought, along with a Python developer. Whatever title it is, be it an internally developed game, or a port of something else, we have to wait and see, though rumours of it being a new South Park game are floating around.
Mad Head Games
Series known to them: Nothing yet
The studio is hard at work on Scars Above, which Prime Matter are publishing. Given their focus is on that, don’t expect anything else from them this year.
New World Interactive
Series known to them: Insurgency series
Best known for their work on the Insurgency series, the most recent one being Sandstorm, the studio takes pride in providing more realistic shooting experiences than other series.
Since Insurgency: Sandstorm released, now over 4 years ago, the studio has been staffing up for a new game, but there is no word on what it is for, or when it might come out.
Nimble Giant Entertainment
Series known to them: Realms Online, Quantum League
The most recent game from the team at Nimble Giant is Quantum League, which has players attempting to take on another team, in 1v1 or 2v2 matches, the catch though is that you are the entire team on your side. When you die, the game loops time back and you take on a new version of yourself, working with your past self to try and win the next round.
There is no word on what the studio is working on next, but it could be big as 2022 saw them expand a lot. The studio has been based in Argentine and Sweden for quite a while, but last year they added new studios in Perú, Chile, Uruguay and Spain.
Saber Interactive
Saber Interactive
Series known to them: SnowRunner, Quake Champions
2022 was a big year for the Sabre group, they released Evil Dead, Redout II, Quake Champions and a whole lot of content. While some of the games they were developers on, some they were just the publisher, so who knows what lies in store for 2023, well we do.
Gloomhaven is a digital adaptation of the board game is is coming in 2023, plus there is the Switch port of Kingdom Come: Deliverance and possibly the new Painkiller. Given how many games they have their hands in, we just need to wait and see.
Saber Interactive Belarus
Series known to them: Phoenix Point: Behemoth Edition
The studio shipped Phoenix Point back in 2021 and since then have been quiet on what comes next.
Saber Interactive Porto
Series known to them: DAKAR: Desert Rally
2022 saw the return of the DAKAR video game and the Porto arm of Sabre released a lot of content for it already, with the plan to drop more as 2023 goes on.
Saber Interactive Russia
Series known to them: WWE 2K Battlegrounds, NBA Playgrounds
2022 was meant to be a big year for the Russia studio, as they were the ones leading the next-gen versions of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Sadly in April development was taken away from them and back to in-house at CD Projekt Red. The studio is also linked to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, but likely as a sister studio to the main office in America.
Saber Interactive Spain
Series known to them: Evil Dead: The Game
2022 saw the studio release a Evil Dead: The Game, as well as a bunch of post launch content for it, 2023 will see that content continue, along with the expected Switch release of the game.
Saber Interactive Sweden
Series known to them: Crysis Remastered, Ghostbusters: The Videogame Remastered
Formally known as Binary Motion, the studio got a name change when bought out, but they have since been silent on what titles they are working on. Job lists were looking for programmers, but that doesn’t narrow it down between new games or ports of old games. For now we just need to wait.
Shiver Entertainment
Series known to them: Mortal Kombat series
Since the buyout, Shiver has been fairly quiet, they got bought out in 2021 and the last title they had anything to do with was 2020’s Mortal Kombat 11 expansion. As they have done both original games and porting over the years, there is no telling what they are working on next, they are only a small studio, with some 20 people working there, so don’t expect anything massive.
Slipgate Ironworks
Series known to them: Ghostrunner
Graven released in 2022 into Early Access and the studio is keeping that moving forward, but having obtained great success with Ghostrunner, they have plenty more to look forward too. The studio is helping to develop Core Decay, along with ‘reloaded’ editions of SiN and Kingpin, but there is no eta on those. In any way you look at it, the studio has a lot going on in 2023.
SmartPhone Labs
Series known to them: Gnomes Garden series
As a mobile games developer, this is likely a team you are not familiar with, the studio has released many entries lately in their Gnomes Garden series, the last being in 2019. As a mobile developer, games can pop up out of nowhere, so there is no way of knowing what they have planned next, so we just have to wait and see.
Snapshot Games
Series known to them: Phoenix Point
Since Phoenix Point and its console enhanced edition released, the studio has been really quiet on their next project. They are hiring across a number of professions, but nothing in the job listings gives any indication of what they are working on. However, given the founder and CEO of the company created X-Com and Phoenix Point is a tactical game, something along those lines makes sense.
Tuxedo Labs - aug 2022
Series known to them: Teardown
Tuxedo Labs was another 2022 buyout by Embracer, just around the same time Teardown released. As the game only released in August last year and the studio has been releasing content and patches for it, don’t expect a new game in 2023. More content for the game though, that you can bank on.
Tripwire Interactive - aug 2022
Series known to them: Maneater, Killing Floor series
Another 2022 buy, Tripwire Interactive has been fairly quiet on the game development front since they released Maneater in 2020. They are the publisher of a little known game called Chivalry 2, perhaps you have heard of that one.
With a few games out that are considered live service and a publisher of other games, expect to see the name pretty consistently over the year as new content is released. The only question is will we see a new game developed in house?
Zen Studios
Series known to them: Pinball, Circus Electrique
2022 was a big year for Zen Studios, who are best known for their pinball games, because they released a game that was totally not related to pinball at all, Circus Electrique. They also dropped a lot of pinball content through, with new Star Wars tables for Zen Pinball Party and the reveal of Pinball FX.
The full release of Pinball FX is set to take place in February, with Dreamworks Pinball, Wrath of the Elder Gods and The Addams Family all getting tables. Beyond that, expect the odd update to Circus Electrique and even more tables.
thq nordic
Alkimia Interactive
Series known to them: Nothing yet…
Last year Alkimia was a newly formed studio and were in the early days of the Gothic Remake, now a year later the studio is running at full speed, with a trailer for it released during the THQ Showcase. The team are hard at work on this game, so expect to hear from them more about it, as the year goes on.
Appeal Studios
Series known to them: Outcast series
Last year saw the studio start to show off their newest game Outcast 2, which has been in development for sometime. While they did release a new trailer, they are yet to date the game. 2023 marks six years since the last game in the series released though, so there is hope that they might have a new game for this year.
Ashborne Games
Series known to them: Comanche remake
2021 saw the studio release the Comanche remake and then in early 2022 they revealed they are working on something new. Over the year the studio made great strides in getting the game ready, but they are yet to reveal what it actually is. We know that it is described as a Historical Strategy/RPG, but that is not all that helpful. The only piece of art that they have released shows a set of train tracks going through a wooded area, with a sun either rising or setting in the distance. Whatever the game is, we should hear something from it this year, as the team did achieve their vertical slice milestone last year.
Black Forest Games
Series known to them: Giana Sisters series, Destroy All Humans series
At the start of last year we knew this group were making the remake for Destroy All Humans 2, but that was it. In the space of the year, they fully revealed the game, released the game and delivered some post release content. Given that the studio just shipped a pretty big game, I would not expect anything else from them this year.
Bugbear Entertainment
Series known to them: Flatout series, Wreckfest
2022 was an odd year for Bugbear, they finally got to release Wreckfest on Switch, but that was ported by someone else, they also announced a mobile version of the game, also being handled elsewhere. The team did release content for the game, with new races and challenges dropping pretty consistently, but outside of that, they have been quiet. Given Wreckfest first released back in 2018, they could have something new in the works, we just have to wait and see.
Campfire Cabal
Series known to them: Unknown
The studio was spun up in 2022 and features folks from a number of other studios like IO Interactive, Logic Artists and more. As they have just started, they have nothing to reveal, but their mandate is to make high-quality, narrative-driven RPGs. We just have to wait for them to tell us what their first game is.
Experiment 101
Series known to them: Biomutant
This group started off by teasing that they were working on a new game, with Biomutant having shipped the year before. It seems that they could not hide from Biomutant as they worked with one of the Sabre Interactive studios, to make PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S versions of the game, which released in September. Whatever the new game is, the studio is hiring for it, so I would not expect anything beyond a reveal this year, though given the long development time of Biomutant, they might wait until they are really ready.
Gate 21 d.o.o.
Series known to them: None
Not a game development studio, Gate 21 D.O.O. is actually a technology based group that develops things like advanced character animation systems and facial rigs for game creation. They are working on the Gothic remake with Alkimia, specifically on the faces for the game, beyond that they are sticking in the tech development world.
Grimlore Games
Series known to them: Spellforce series
After releasing Spellforce 3 Reforced, the studio pivoted to a new title, currently called Project Minerva. While some might associate the name with Harry Potter, Minerva was actually the Roman Goddess of War. The single piece of art released for the game shows a statue of a woman, holding a spear and having an owl land on her shoulder, all items that are linked with the Goddess version. We know that the game will be a top down RPG and they are hiring to fill a lot of positions, but that is it. Given it has just been over 12 months since their last game shipped, don’t expect much on this one for a while.
Gunfire Games
Series known to them: Darksiders series
The studio that is best known for Darksiders, had a fairly quiet 2022, at least right up until The Game Awards. It was during the show that they announced Remnant II, the sequel to Remnant: From the Ashes. The game is dated to release this year, but beyond that no firmer date is known.
Handy Games
HandyGames
Series known to them: So many games
More of a publisher than anything else, the team at HandyGames help bring titles to market from other studios. They are kicking off 2023 with Perish, which is set to launch in early February. Beyond that the studio always has things happening, so its not a matter of what they will release, but when.
Massive Miniteam
Series known to them: Little Big Workshop
A developer within the HandyGames family, this group develop titles across genres, sometimes they are original and other times they are assisting with ports to other platforms. The group have been quiet for a while now, so I would expect to see them deliver something in 2023, just no idea what.
Kaiko
Series known to them: Red Faction series, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
Since the new expansion for Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning released in December of 2021, the team at Kaiko have been very silent, too silent perhaps. They have not posted anything to socials in almost a year, so there is no word on what they are working on.
Metricminds
Series known to them: None
More of an animation house, rather than a game maker, they specialist in animations for both in-engine and cutscenes, motion capture and such. The recent titles they have helped with include Marvel’s Midnight Suns, Horizon Forbidden West and Dying Light 2.
Mirage Game Studios
Series known to them: Little Big Workshop
After developing Little Big Workshop, the next game from the studio is called Space for Sale, which is about going to new locations to built homes for aliens that have unique requests. It was only announced back during the 2022 THQ Showcase, but the developers have had a pretty consistent update schedule for their developments, including just at the start of the year.
Nine Rocks Games
Series known to them: Way of the Hunter
Last year the studio was working on something, but that was a total unknown, however now we know as the game is out. Way of the Hunter dropped around the middle of 2022 and since then the studio has been delivering updates for both content and fixes. As of right now, they are focused on that title and have not revealed anything further.
Pieces Interactive
Series known to them: Titan Quest series
After being quiet for a number of years, the developers at Pieces Interactive revealed their new game last year and it is Alone in the Dark. Beyond the reveal trailer though, there is nothing else out there about the game, there is not even a release year for it. If the game is out this year, then we should hear something on it soon, if however its not coming until 2024, I would not expect to see anything until E3.
Piranha Bytes
Series known to them: Gothic series, Risen series, ELEX series
In 2022 the studio finally released ELEX II for PC, Xbox and PlayStation, so as such they have nothing revealed for now, though DLC would not surprise me.
Pow Wow Entertainment
Series known to them: MisBits
While the studio has a title in early access, MisBits, they were eager to do something more as they announced StuntFest World Tour last year. Part racer, part parkour experience, it will test players in high stakes races. The game was due to release onto PC last year, but was delayed until an unknown date in 2023. As the studio is working on that full time, don’t expect much else from them this year.
Purple Lamp Studios
Series known to them: SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydrated
The Cosmic Shake, an all-new SpongeBob SquarePants game is set to release at the end of the month, as such until that is out, don’t expect anything else from them.
Rainbow Studios
Rainbow Studios
Series known to them: MX vs ATV series, Monster Jam series
MX vs ATV Legends released in 2022 and while it was not my favourite game, the studio stuck with patching it and releasing content, even up to the holidays last year. With that in mind, they will likely keep the updates coming in 2023, but beyond that there is no word on what might be next. Given there was a four year gap between releases, I would not expect anything new.
Rainbow Studios Montréal
Series known to them: Nothing Yet…
When the studio was founded back in 2022, they were given the task of being a support studio for other THQ Nordic developers. What that means is they are unlikely to make a game, just assets and such for ones in the list above. Given their mandate, I would not expect a game from them.
This list is only their gaming developers or companies that work directly within that space. It does not count other companies like Coffee Stain Publishing, Dark Horse Media, Limited Run Games or Middle-earth Enterprises, the latter two being included in their August 2022 buy up.
