In a fascinating move for the gaming world, Stig Asmussen, the creative genius behind blockbusters like God of War 3 and the Star Wars Jedi series, made a significant career shift last September, leaving his position at Respawn Entertainment. The industry has been abuzz with curiosity about his next venture, and details have finally emerged. Asmussen has founded a new AAA studio named Giant Skull, targeting the creation of action-adventure games that merge engaging gameplay with deep narrative experiences, a realm where Asmussen has already proven his mettle.

Giant Skull is not just a platform for Asmussen’s vision but is also home to a team of seasoned professionals from prestigious companies within the gaming industry, such as Respawn Entertainment, Epic Games, Rocksteady Studios, and Riot Games. This star-studded team includes Jeff Magers, the design director known for his work on the latest Star Wars Jedi series, as the art director, Patrick Murphy, with experience on Valorant and Fortnite. Jon Carr steps in as the chief technology officer, bringing his expertise from Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, while Lauren McLemore takes the helm as lead producer with prior experience in Fortnite, and Brian Campbell joins as the animation director with his background in the same title.

Asmussen is passionate about fostering a creative and inquisitive environment at Giant Skull, focusing on delivering immersive storytelling, dynamic combat, and thrilling exploration within richly crafted universes. This mission resonates deeply with the team, as they have strived for years to build narratives and worlds that captivate players' imaginations.

The studio emphasizes core values of autonomy, momentum, curiosity, and respect, which they believe will reflect in the gaming experiences they create, as well as in their engagement with the community. CFO and CTO Anthony Scott, coming from an established career at Rocksteady Studios, highlighted the studio's commitment to taking gamers along every step of their creative journey, aiming to redefine the standards of third-person action-adventure games.

Giant Skull is already developing its debut game, a triple-A single-player action-adventure title utilizing the powerful Unreal Engine 5. This move signals the studio's ambition to leverage cutting-edge technology to bring its expansive gaming visions to life.