Dead Static Drive, the long-anticipated eldritch horror road adventure from Melbourne-based studio Reuben Games has officially locked in a release window of Q3 2024, after several years in development. The news was delivered alongside a major funding announcement, confirming the game will be supported by VicScreen’s Victorian Production Fund.
This will enable the team to continue ‘home stretch’ development on the game, as Reuben works to refine Dead Static Drive, and steer it over the finish line.
‘I’m thrilled to receive this support to get the game finished, and make it everything we’ve dreamed of,’ Mike Blackney, creative director said in a press release. ‘I hope people enjoy playing Dead Static Drive as much as we’ve enjoyed making it, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.’
‘The VicScreen application process was rigorous and competitive, and we’re proud our application was approved by a panel of our peers, it means so much,’ Leena van Deventer, creative producer said.
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Caroline Pitcher, VicScreen CEO expressed enthusiasm about the work of Reuben, and the ‘irresistibly spooky storyline’ of Dead Static Drive, which will send players on a survival quest through a wasteland populated by strange and unfathomable creatures. The game is inspired by the works of filmmaker David Lynch (Twin Peaks, Mulholland Drive), photographer William Eggleston, and the fiction of T. E. D. Klein, Gene Wolfe, and Ramsey Campbell.
‘It’s content like this that reinforces Melbourne’s reputation as global screen production hub, and we can’t wait for audiences to get their hands on the game next year,’ Pitcher said.
After several years, it’s gratifying to see Dead Static Drive finally nab an elusive release window. Work on the game began way back in 2014, and it entered full production in 2017. With only a small team of developers working to bring the adventure to life, progress has been slow and steady – but funding and community support have aided the project’s path to completion.
When Dead Static Drive launches in Q3 2024, it will be available on PC and Xbox, and via Xbox Game Pass. You can keep up to date with all the latest game developments on social media.
