If you’ve spent any time with Respawn’s incredible Star Wars Jedi games or 2010’s God of War 3, then you’ll probably know how good game director Stig Asmussen is at what he does. Now, the award-winning developer is heading up a brand new studio, Giant Skull, which is comprised of industry vets predominantly hailing from the Star Wars Jedi and Fortnite teams. And, like Cal Kestis’s intergalactic adventure, the team is eyeing up an action-packed single-player experience of its own.
Featuring big hitters like CTO Jon Carr (Star Wars Jedi Survivor), art director Patrick Murphy (Fortnite, Valorant, League of Legends), and lead producer Lauren McLemore (Fortnite), Giant Skull has serious pedigree when it comes to devs who have worked on some of the best games out there.
“The Giant Skull studio culture is founded on creativity and curiosity,” Asmussen says. “We have assembled a talented team renowned for immersive storytelling, heroic combat, and exhilarating traversal, and our goal is to craft a rich universe that players will want to lose themselves in for years to come.”
So what will this game look like? While it won’t quite slot into the list of best battle royale games like Fortnite, it’s certainly looking to take several cues from some of the best Star Wars games. Speaking to IGN as part of a fresh interview, Asmussen says the team has “a very clear vision” of the type of game it’s going to make – a “single-player focused third-person action-adventure, gameplay-driven that’s seamlessly integrated into a compelling narrative.” A press release announcing Giant Skull’s formation also confirms it’ll be built in Unreal Engine 5.
As for whether Giant Skull’s game will materialize as an original IP or as a licensed game, Asmussen has left the door open for either possibility. “We have a lot of experience with licensed games obviously,” he notes. “But it is very compelling to make an original IP as well. We can flex in either direction.”
When it comes to the studio’s core pillars, COO/CFO Anthony Scott states in the press release: “our values for the studio translate into how we make our games and our relationship with players – autonomy, momentum, curiosity and respect.” This mantra is also baked into the Giant Skull website, which is revealed after typing ‘CULTURE’ into its command terminal. For some other fun easter eggs, try out the following:
- CAT CREW_MANIFEST.TXT
- CAT GIANT_SKULL.TXT
- TEAM
While it’s going to be quite some time before Giant Skull’s first project is announced, it’s great to see a new studio pop up at a time when the industry is closing doors at great speeds. Scott says that the team is “creating something special,” and it’s hard not to believe it when looking at the Avengers-esque team it has assembled. Let’s just hope we get to see it grace the list of new PS5 games and new Xbox games in the future.
For more of the latest news on the best PS5 games and best Xbox games, make sure you download the new Persona 3 Reload DLC that’s now available if you have the P3R Expansion Pass. Alternatively, check out everything coming to The Finals Season 2.