Here’s some news that should intrigue fans of narrative-focused games: David Gaider, aBioWareveteran and a writer for several of the studio’s best titles, has started up a studio of his own called Summerfall Studios. Based in Melbourne, Australia, the new studio will be helmed by Gaider alongside Liam Esler, a fellow writer who contributed to games such asPillars of Eternityand the re-releases of classic RPGs likeBaldur’s GateandIcewind Dale.
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An official unveiling isn’t far off either, as the plan is for Summerfall to fund its debut title onKickstarternext month. The crowdfunding campaign will go live at 5:30 PM PT on October 10, or 10:30 AM on October 11 Australian time. At around the same time, Gaider will be speaking at the keynote address at PAX Australia, where he will likely be talking about both the studio and the game.
Summerfall Studios is the newest venture for David Gaider after he leftBioWarein early 2016. Prior to that, he had worked at the studio for 17 years, lending his writing talents toBaldur’s Gate 2,Neverwinter Nights,Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and theDragon Ageseries. After that, he joined Beamdog, the developer behind the remasters of many classic RPGs, before eventually parting ways in 2018.
The years since Gaider left have not been great forBioWare. In that time, the studio has seen its new releases failing to impress critics and fans alike. It started with 2017’sMass Effect: Andromeda, and it continued with this year’s disappointing third-person shooterAnthem. It appears BioWare’s parent company EA has really put a strain on the studio’s ability to produce quality games in recent times. It’s gotten bad enough that many fearEA is effectively going to kill BioWare.
