Following a challenging year for Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios, a “core team” of approximately 20 employees has moved to Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser’s Absurd Ventures, forming a new studio called Absurd Marin.
Immortals of Aveum, described as a “single-player first person magic shooter”, was released to mixed reviews last August and did not perform well commercially. Consequently, a month later, Ascendant Studios made the tough decision to lay off 45% of its staff, amounting to around 40 employees.
The situation did not improve, with reports earlier this year indicating that a “large portion” of the remaining team had been furloughed, casting doubt on Ascendant’s future. However, Absurd Ventures, led by Houser, has now taken some of the team members under its wing, with a core team of about 20 former employees forming Absurd Marin.
Based in San Rafael, California, Absurd Marin will be helmed by Ascendant Studios’ founder and game director Bret Robbins, with the team expanding as they work on a new game – described as a “story-driven action-adventure title set in an as-yet-unannounced Absurd universe”.
Absurd Ventures has unveiled two “universes” – American Caper and A Better Paradise – which will serve as the foundation for various transmedia projects, starting with a graphic novel and podcast. A job listing in May hinted at Absurd’s first video game project, described as an “open-world action-adventure” focusing on combat and third-person action across different modes. Further details are yet to be revealed, raising questions about its connection to Absurd Marin’s project.
While there is no official announcement regarding the closure of Ascendant Studios, uncertainty looms over its current status. With the departure of its founder and 20 employees from an already diminished team, the studio’s future seems uncertain.
