The studio closures at US publisher Bethesda Softworks also left their mark on the “Ori” makers at Moon Studios. In the person of CEO and Creative Director Thomas Mahler, the studio emphasized its independence in view of the current developments.
This week, those responsible at Microsoft helped the closure from a total of four studios of the publisher Bethesda Softworks, which was taken over in 2021, for the next shock news.
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Affected are Arkane Austin (“Redfall”), Tango Gameworks (“The Evil Within”) and the Alpha Dog team, which will be completely closed. In addition, Roundhouse Studios will be merged into ZeniMax Online. After yesterday Dinga Bakaba, the boss of Arkane Studios, clear words found out about the events, the developers at Moon Studios also commented on the closures via X (formerly: Twitter).
As is well known, the Vienna-based studio worked closely with Microsoft for years. This partnership resulted in the two Metroidvania hits “Ori and the Blind Forest” (2015) and “Ori and the Will of the Wisps” (2020).
Moon Studios emphasize their independence
During the collaboration with Microsoft, Moon Studios was repeatedly linked to a possible takeover by the Xbox makers. Unconfirmed reports According to this, however, this is said to have failed due to the scandals surrounding the working conditions at Moon Studios at the time.
Regardless of whether the information corresponds to the facts, Moon Studios used the current events surrounding Bethesda Softworks to emphasize their independence. According to CEO and Creative Director Thomas Mahler, the desire to remain independent is not only due to the studio closures at Bethesda Softworks.
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In addition, Mahler, who is one of the founders of Moon Studios, referred to the 1990s. At the time, EA took over various smaller studios and closed them a few years later. A fate that the “Ori” makers should be spared.
Studio wants to shake up the action role-playing game genre
“Those who have been pestering me for years about why we didn't let a major publisher acquire Moon Studios… That's exactly why. I lived through the 90s and saw what happened when EA took over smaller studios. “Never again,” said Mahler.
The developers at Moon Studios are currently working on the action role-playing game “No Rest for the Wicked”. This recently went into early access on the PC and is intended to bring a breath of fresh air to the genre with various concepts such as runes and the dynamic class system.
We have further details on the playful implementation of the action role-playing game here summarized for you.
If everything goes as planned, the full version “No Rest for the Wicked” will be released later this year for the PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
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