Former staff of Volition, which was shut down as part of Embracer Group’s cost-cutting measures in late 2023, have announced the creation of a new co-development studio for AAA video games, known as Shapeshifter Games. It houses a number of Volition veterans, who are currently seeking to partner with major game developers on new, upcoming projects.
“Founded by veteran developers from Volition, Shapeshifter Games was created to partner with world class developers and publishers on the creation of AAA games,” the studio’s LinkedIn description reads, as spotted by TechRaptor. “Shapeshifter draws upon deep experience in open-world and character action games earned while working on some of the industry’s most beloved franchises.”
Per the LinkedIn page, the company contains between 11-50 employees, many of whom are games industry veterans. The studio is led by Rob Loftus, who was formerly the principal producer on Saints Row. Brian Traficante, the former creative director of Volition, will serve in a similar role at Shapeshifter Games.
Read: Saints Row studio Volition has been shut down after 30 years
As noted on LinkedIn, the studio is already working “with a top publisher on [its] next great IP” although it’s hoping to expand its work over the coming months.
“One of the goals of the company is to create a more sustainable environment for developers to do their best work,” the studio said. “Shapeshifter is always searching for talented developers to help us grow. Please reach out, we would love to hear from you.”
In the coming months, we expect similar new ventures to pop up, given the vast amount of talent cut from high profile studios over the last year. While starting a new studio in the current economic climate is fraught with challenges, the former team of Volition is well-positioned to make a mark, given the cumulative decades of experience from its now re-established staff pool.
We look forward to hearing more from Shapeshifter Games in the coming months.
