LogInStig Asmussen is working on an AAA narrative-driven action-adventure game.
Image credit: Giant Skull
Stig Asmussen, the game director behind Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and God of War 3, has announced a new studio called Giant Skull. He left Respawn "to pursue other adventures" last year, and it looks like his new story starts with a "premium, AAA narrative-driven single-player third-person action-adventure game" he's working on with his team.
“I can’t underscore enough that mystery and intrigue is a huge part of what we’re doing,” he told IGN. “We want our players to have a certain degree of autonomy and ownership in the game and agency as they’re playing it. We want to make a game that has a momentum to it that you want to keep on playing it. And we respect our players. We wanna create real authentic worlds that don't feel random; they feel like there's a rich history. And [that] there's thought behind them.”
Image credit: Giant Skull
When asked why he parted ways with EA after making two games in the same genre there, Asmussen said it was "not something that [he] was looking for," and while he was happy at Respawn, he was approached with an interesting opportunity. "It started to be like a little kernel in my brain: 'Wow, what would it be like to start my own studio?'... It was something that was incredibly enticing."
Giant Skull is now a Los Angeles-based home for about 30 people, including veterans of Star Wars Jedi and Fortnite. Asmussen wants to "build an environment where people can come and collaborate and make something that’s going to ship." However, creators can work wherever they wish, at home, at the office, or at the beach – a rare sight these days.
"We’ve learned how to make that operation work at a really high level [on Jedi Survivor]. If you want to come into the office every day, we’ve got a great space in a great location. If you want to come in [some days each week] for hybrid, it’s up to you. We don’t care. The most important thing is you have all the tools you need to get the job done."
Image credit: Giant Skull
Giant Skull is an independent studio, but Asmussen doesn't rule out joining another company in the future. For now, he has a "very clear vision" of the type of game the team wants to make. But if there is an outside IP opportunity that fits the criteria, the studio will think about it.
Check out its new website here, read the interview on IGN, and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.