Dan Houser’s Absurd Ventures has launched its first spinoff studio.
Primarily based in San Rafael, California, the Absurd Marin group is comprised of a number of former staffers from Ascendant Studios, creators of 2023’s Immortals of Aveum. Fittingly, that features former Ascendant CEO Bret Robbins.
Per Houser, this new developer is engaged on a story-based unique title. This venture relies on a 3rd, unannounced Absurd property, and marks Absurd’s second sport alongside one it is making for its transmedia property A Higher Paradise.
“We love the deal with storytelling and world constructing at Absurd Ventures,” wrote Robbins. “We’re thrilled to group up and produce our mixed experience to work on an unique sport set in an extremely enjoyable new universe.”
Who’s Ascendant Studios?
The saga of Bret Robbins and Ascendant was a twisty one in 2023. Immortals of Aveum was the studio’s debut venture, and never lengthy after the magical shooter’s launch, half of the workers was laid off.
Earlier this yr, Robbins admitted a number of elements could have finished the sport in, together with its value level. However on the time, he stated gross sales noticed a “large uptick” thanks to cost cuts and phrase of mouth, and that it opened the door to potential enterprise companions.
Even so, the studio furloughed most of its remaining workers this previous April. EA reportedly supplied a lifeline in Could by diverting all Aveum gross sales income to Ascendant, whose standing as a developer is at present unclear.
Previous to Aveum’s launch final yr, Sport Developer spoke with Robbins about making a magical first-person shooter, and making a movement seize-heavy sport throughout a pandemic.