ProbablyMonsters Grows its Family of Studios with New Next-Gen Co-Op RPG Studio, Led by Torchlight and Borderlands Creative Leaders

ProbablyMonsters™ Inc., a new category of game company building a family of game studios to launch world-class entertainment, today proudly reveals its third studio, which is led by creative leaders from the acclaimed Torchlight and Borderlands franchises. The third studio, whose name has not been announced, joins Cauldron Studios and Firewalk Studios in the company’s thriving family of sustainable AAA game studios. The new studio is working on a next-gen co-op RPG game for its first project, which represents another genre within the ProbablyMonsters portfolio of original titles.

ProbablyMonsters also confirmed it has secured a new, larger home in the scenic northwest surroundings of Bellevue, Washington as it continues to hire across all studios. The 76,000 square foot building will support ProbablyMonsters and its family of studios with ample room to expand teams and house new studios. The company’s inclusive approach has attracted diverse senior-level talent who have collectively worked on dozens of blockbuster franchises, strengthening its planned growth. ProbablyMonsters has achieved a 50% increase in headcount this year despite pandemic challenges, with the company now having over 150 employees. Whether working remotely, as they are now, or in their new office, employees will continue to benefit from all the resources needed to provide an environment of stability and positive work-life balance while creating AAA games.

Under the leadership of founder and CEO, Harold Ryan, ProbablyMonsters continues to chart a new course for building and sustaining AAA game studios. ProbablyMonsters’ unique studio development model empowers each of its studios to concentrate on game creation while the company’s platform team focuses on leadership mentoring, funding, publishing negotiations, staffing, corporate administration, and technology for every studio. Each side does what it’s best at while enjoying stable careers and creating exceptional games. With this steadfast vision, ProbablyMonsters has now guided the formation of three game studios, each of which is creating signature player experiences in different genres to delight fans.

“People-first game developers with a passion for their craft, who foster trust, respect, and approachability, belong at ProbablyMonsters,” said Harold Ryan, CEO and founder of ProbablyMonsters. “John, Marsh, Patrick, and Allen are a perfect fit at ProbablyMonsters, and have joined us to lead the growth of a new co-op RPG studio, adding a new core genre to our family of studios.”

The new ProbablyMonsters studio is led by four key developers with a storied history of collaborating on successful original RPG projects. The founders and their growing new team have a passion for advancing their craft through mutual support and knowledge sharing, which is informed by their experience and strengthened by the resources available at ProbablyMonsters. College gaming friends John Dunbar and Marsh Lefler worked together on the creation of Mythos at Flagship Studios before leaving to co-found Runic Games in 2008. Patrick Blank, original Lead Level Designer on Borderlands, later joined, and Allen Fong, then with Perfect World, soon began working with the team before officially joining Runic in 2016. Their team created Torchlight, a seminal RPG released in 2009, leading to the studio being named as a “Top 5 Developer” by Gamasutra. They followed this with Torchlight II in 2012. Since joining forces, the quartet have worked closely together for over a decade in an atmosphere of cooperation that goes beyond their formal disciplines and roles.

At ProbablyMonsters, developers can flourish, reliably turning creative vision and effort into exceptional game experiences. The company is built on a foundation of repeated AAA success by an unrivaled team of innovative, experienced game executives and development leaders, with staff hailing from over 60 major games, entertainment, and technology companies. More details on ProbablyMonsters and its family of studios will be shared in the coming months.

Follow ProbablyMonsters on Twitter at @prblyMONSTERS and connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/probablymonsters.

About ProbablyMonsters Inc.

ProbablyMonsters, a new category of game company, was founded in 2016 by former Bungie President and CEO, Harold Ryan. ProbablyMonsters is building a family of sustainable game studios to create and launch AAA games in a positive environment for developers. Located in its new headquarters in Bellevue, Washington, the company has a strong cast of experienced, innovative game development leaders with a record of launching blockbuster projects. ProbablyMonsters’ mission is to unite, guide, and empower talented game developers to create exceptional interactive experiences. The company has revealed three unique studios. Its first two game studios, Firewalk Studios and Cauldron Studios, are each developing their own inaugural AAA game project via separate, signed deals with major publishers, and its third studio is working on a next gen co-op RPG project. ProbablyMonsters has over 150 employees and continues to grow. For more information, visit probablymonsters.com.

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