Bioshock Lead Developer Talks Going Indie With Wartorn
From Big Daddies to New Beginnings: Exploring the Journey Behind Wartorn’s Development
Stray Kite Studios, a new indie collective formed by some of the gaming industry's most accomplished developers, has revealed its debut project—Wartorn, a rogue-lite fantasy game. With a team that includes veterans of blockbuster franchises like Bioshock, Borderlands, and Age of Empires, the transition from AAA development to an indie-scale project has presented both unique advantages and challenges.
Set to release later this year, Wartorn is the first game from Stray Kite Studios, a collective that boasts some serious pedigree in the gaming world. The team includes talent from high-profile projects, such as Paul Hellquist, who served as the lead designer for the original Bioshock, and Paul Slusser and Kyle King, who have worked on Age of Empires 2 and Borderlands, respectively. In a recent conversation with Game Rant, Hellquist shared his insights on the team's collective expertise and how they’ve adapted to the indie development landscape for Wartorn.
Senior Developer from Borderlands Discusses the Indie Shift with Wartorn
Stray Kite’s AAA Experience Brings Depth to Wartorn’s Design
Hellquist highlighted the impressive background of Stray Kite’s developers, noting the diversity of experience among the team. With a team deeply rooted in AAA game development, they bring a wealth of knowledge to Wartorn. Hellquist pointed out that the isometric view and squad-based gameplay of Wartorn set it apart from other rogue-likes. He emphasized that the team’s deep experience in strategy and combat design—shaped by their work on games like Bioshock, Borderlands, and Age of Empires—has been crucial in shaping the game's core mechanics.
Stray Kite Studios' inclusion of many former Borderlands developers is particularly interesting, considering Wartorn’s dark, war-torn fantasy world contrasts sharply with the colorful, satirical tone of Borderlands. Hellquist, who served as a senior designer for the original Borderlands and creative director for Borderlands 2, is eager to see how this diverse experience will influence Wartorn’s development.
Embracing the Freedom and Challenges of Indie Development
While the Stray Kite team’s experience in AAA studios has equipped them with valuable skills, transitioning to an indie scale has come with its own set of challenges. Hellquist expressed enthusiasm about the creative freedom that comes with working outside the constraints of a big-budget studio. “As an indie studio, we have more control over the direction of the game, which is liberating,” Hellquist explained. However, this freedom comes with the limitation of smaller resources.
Despite this, Hellquist was quick to acknowledge that Wartorn’s smaller team—currently under 10 people—has forced the developers to focus their ambitions. “We’ve had to keep our expectations in check,” Hellquist admitted. “We have big ideas, but we have to remember that our team is less than 10% the size of the teams we’ve worked with on past AAA titles.” This reality has made Stray Kite’s team more resourceful and creative, proving that even small, talented teams can accomplish remarkable things with limited resources.
With Wartorn shaping up to be an exciting new addition to the rogue-lite genre, the unique blend of AAA experience and indie ingenuity behind its development promises to bring fresh and captivating gameplay. Stray Kite Studios’ ability to adapt to a smaller scale while retaining their creative ambition will undoubtedly make Wartorn a game to watch in the coming months.