Former individuals from Volition, a studio recognized for games such as Saints Row and Red Faction, have united to establish a new development firm named Shapeshifter Games. Embracer Group, previously known as THQ Nordic and the Nordic Games Licensing, has been acquiring assets over the past decade from entities like THQ, Crystal Dynamics, and various intellectual properties. However, recent developments have been less favorable, with reported unsuccessful negotiations between Embracer and Savvy Gaming Group resulting in a significant restructuring plan involving studio shutdowns and staff cutbacks.
Amidst the layoffs and project cancellations, Volition was among the studios to close down. This studio, originally a THQ asset acquired by Deep Silver before Embracer's purchase in 2018, was renowned for the Saints Row series. However, its final releases, Agents of Mayhem and the franchise reboot Saints Row, struggled to resonate with consumers, leading to Embracer's announcement of Volition's closure on August 31, 2023. Nonetheless, from Volition's demise emerges a new studio comprising several veterans from the Champaign, Illinois company.
The announcement surfaced on LinkedIn through Matt Madigan, the head of Shapeshifter Games. Madigan disclosed that Shapeshifter Games specializes in co-developing AAA games, indicating their intent to support other developers and publishers with their projects. Situated in Champaign, the studio also appears to be involved in co-developing a project with Xbox Games Studios, as suggested by the profile of lighting artist AJ Nelson, who transitioned from Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios to Shapeshifter. However, no further details were provided.
Shapeshifter's Former Volition Developers
In addition to Madigan, who previously held various financial positions at Volition, THQ, and Koch Media, Shapeshifter has successfully recruited numerous veterans from the Saints Row studio. This includes individuals like Rob Loftus and Brian Traficante, who serve as dual studio heads at Shapeshifter, as well as longstanding Volition level designers like Jeff Touchstone and Chad Dodson, software engineer David Andsager, quest designer Alex Cline, and designers Darren Dienst and Bryan Dillow.
While the Volition closure ultimately led to positive outcomes for many, Embracer seems poised for another round of layoffs. Recent developments saw additional layoffs at Black Forest Games, a studio known for the Destroy All Humans franchise and currently working on a video game adaptation of the popular comic series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin. Reports indicated a roughly 50% reduction in the workforce, continuing the trend of layoffs and closures prevalent in the gaming industry in 2024.