Stoic Studios, the developer of The Banner Saga series, is undertaking “new ambitions and aspirations” to produce a project that takes place in an all-new world with all-new stories (via Spieltimes).
In 2011, the studio was formed when three BioWare employees—Alex Thomas, Arnie Jorgensen and John Watson—chose to leave the Dragon Age developer and make their “dream game.” This endeavour, titled The Banner Saga, was fully funded within two days of its Kickstarter going live with the total $700,000 raised letting the team build upon its original scope. Featuring a distinctive Disney-esque art style inspired by the work of Eyvind Earle, Ralph Bakshi, and Don Bluth, the game met with critical and commercial success. The Banner Saga 2 and The Banner Saga 3 followed in 2016 and 2018 respectively, and a board game, a novel, and a tabletop RPG tie-in show were also produced.
In a post published to the studio’s official blog, the founders reflected on the triumphs and the challenges of developing The Banner Saga into an established series. “Launching that first game was an absolute test of willpower. Health-wise I was spent,” said Thomas. “I had to take a much longer break than Arnie and John, and by then they had moved onto the second game in the trilogy.” Difficult truths about the unpredictability of the industry were described, like a lawsuit, failing to pay contractors on time, and serious crunch conditions. However, the team has learned lots from their experiences, and they are gearing up to reveal “new ambitions and aspirations” for the future.
“Stoic’s continuing to grow bigger than it’s ever been before, and we’re wading heavily into a new project with new ambitions and aspirations. We can’t wait to be able to talk more about it soon and we hope you’ll come along with us to a new world, with new stories to tell in a new game,” said Thomas. The emphasis on the newness of the project insinuates that this isn’t an addition to The Banner Saga series, and that we will see something radical from Stoic Studios. In any event, I hope the new undertaking keeps the elegant art style that defines the studio’s games, and that we get a sneak peek soon.
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