A new Sweden-based studio namedWayfinder Gameshas been formed featuring talent fromBattlefielddeveloper EA Dice andThe Finalsdeveloper Embark Studios. Talent at Wayfinder Games includesStar Wars Battlefrontcreative director Dennis Brännvall, among others. The small but growing studio has ambitious plans for its first game, and plans to make that game in a sustainable and healthy fashion. Wayfinder’s first game is certain to be a long way off, but it will certainly be worth looking forward to.
Sweden is a rapidly growing environment for game development. EA DICE, developer of theBattlefrontandBattlefieldfranchises, is just one example. There’sMinecraftdeveloper Mojang,Angry Birdsdeveloper Rovio Entertainment, and many more. It’s more than understandable that as Sweden’s industry prospers, developers exhausted with the AAA development cycle will seek a healthier alternative for their creative endeavors.
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The team at Wayfinder is said to feature talent from many of these Swedish studios. That includes Brännvall, but also technical director Manne Ederyd ofArc Raidersdev Embarkand EA DICE, and CEO/Studio Head Fia Tjernberg of Funcom and EA DICE. Other members of the team have worked onAnarchy Online,Star Stable,Minecraft, and more. Needless to say, the team’s experience implies that the scope of Wayfinder’s work is as large as the team chooses. It’s capable of very big things.
Wayfinder Games is the opportunity the group of around 18 veteran developers in Sweden have been looking for. While based in Sweden, Wayfinder Games is fully remote. The studio touts flat salary increases without reviews, unscheduled afternoons, and other important structural endeavors to make Wayfinder and the larger industry healthier and more sustainable. CEO Tjernberg describes Wayfinder as a “values-driven place to work” and that it will continue to evolve as it moves forward.
While it’s much too early to make any statement regarding Wayfinder’s first project, the studio has made clear its focus is on role-playing games. Brännvall, who will direct the first game, describes capturing ideas includingtabletop campaign storiesand group euphoria over defeating a raid boss for the first time. Wayfinder isn’t planning to make a massively multiplayer game, but rather something more community-focused with private servers likeMinecraftorValheim.
It will likely be years yet before Wayfinder is ready to unveil its first game. The studio’s announcement is partly intended to help drive recruitment, with plans for Wayfinder to continue hiring through 2023. Given the studio’s talent and its ambitious plans forfuture roleplaying games, RPG fans will hopefully take note ofWayfinderand follow its work in the years to come.
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