Returnal Director Founds "Cosmic Division" Game Studio To Make New Single-Player IP

Returnal, the predecessor to the recently released Saros, was a standout success when it launched in 2021, with players praising its intense gameplay, unique visual style, and satisfying gameplay loop. Now, Harry Krueger, the director of Returnal, has announced his departure from Housemarque along with the founding of a new game studio, Cosmic Division. The announcement on the new Finland-based studio's page says that it "embraces a focused and responsibly ambitious approach to development," and that "operating with a "lean-and-mean" philosophy, the studio prioritizes craftsmanship, fast iteration, and sustainable growth over scale."

The announcement doesn't go into too much detail about the studio's future projects, but it does reveal that work has already begun on a new IP "designed as a single-player PC and console title." The game will be "unapologetically gameplay-first," and feature an emotionally resonant story, suggesting that it will be something like a linear narrative rather than something like a roguelike, like Returnal. Seed funding has already been secured, and Cosmic Division says that is looking for collaborators, investors, and talent as the game goes through pre-production.