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Ruckus Games: New game studio with Borderlands 3, Elder Scrolls alums reveals secret project that eschews risk-averse industry trends

Ruckus Games looks to combine elements from several game genres in its upcoming debut release. (Image source: Ruckus Games)
Ruckus Games looks to combine elements from several game genres in its upcoming debut release. (Image source: Ruckus Games)
The new game studio has already secured $19 million in funding, and it is working on a debut project with some unique visuals that blend cartoon graphics, zany weapons, and darker visuals. "Smash, Grab, and Grow in this upcoming session-based suburban invasion game combining RPG elements, crafting, town-building, and more!"

It's no secret that the Borderlands franchise has had a bit of a rough time lately. When Borderlands 4 was announced in August, fans were seemingly unsure of the upcoming sequel, mostly because of the stale mechanics and story elements used in recent Borderlands entries. Now, former Borderlands 3 creative director, Paul Sage, announced that he is leading Ruckus Games, a new game studio looking to shake things up in a gaming industry full of game studios "willing to take risks on huge budgets and recycled mechanics but unwilling to take risks on new gameplay and experiences for players."

The rest of the team behind Ruckus is equally as impressive, boasting veterans from the likes of Blizzard, Epic Games, Gearbox, Riot Games, and Monolith. So far, the studio has secured $19 million in funding for its debut release, which is as-yet technically unannounced.

The announcement of Ruckus Games' first release, which seemingly doesn't have a name yet, reads:

"Wanna play a rad, cooperative third-person stylized shooter with unique style, humor, explosive action and some of the stupidest weapons ever? We did. That’s why we’re making it!"

Ruckus is being rather secretive about the new game, although it has shared a few tidbits and some art from the game, which makes it look like it has a sort of cartoonish stylised look to it. The game's visual department is being led by Scott Kester, who apparently had a "pivotal role" in creating Borderlands's iconic aesthetic.

As Ruckus describes it, the new game will be a co-op invasion shooter with survival elements and a "large roster of playable characters and thousands of unique make-shift weapon combinations – like a toaster kitted to shoot saw blades or a modded power washer turned flamethrower." The game also sounds like it will incorporate live-service elements, and it seems as though the in-game world will change over time, similar to the likes of Warframe or Helldivers 2, although likely not to the same scale as the latter. 

While the project hasn't officially started just yet, Ruckus Games is currently recruiting playtesters on its website, however, there is no indication of when playtesting will start. 

You can almost see the Borderlands visual influences in this art from Ruckus Games's secret project. (Image source: Ruckus Games)
You can almost see the Borderlands visual influences in this art from Ruckus Games's secret project. (Image source: Ruckus Games)
The colourful visuals offset the somewhat grim-sounding premise of Ruckus Games's project. (Image source: Ruckus Games)
The colourful visuals offset the somewhat grim-sounding premise of Ruckus Games's project. (Image source: Ruckus Games)

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2024 11 > Ruckus Games: New game studio with Borderlands 3, Elder Scrolls alums reveals secret project that eschews risk-averse industry trends
Julian van der Merwe, 2024-11-14 (Update: 2024-11-14)