In 2023, Stig Asmussen, the former head of Star Wars Jedi at Respawn Entertainment, unveiled his latest endeavor. Asmussen, renowned for his direction of the God of War series, has established a new gaming studio named Giant Skull.
The studio boasts a talented lineup originating from acclaimed developers such as Respawn, Rockstar, Rocksteady, Epic, Sony Santa Monica, and Blizzard. Their focus lies in creating “gameplay-driven, story-immersed, AAA action-adventure games.”
Located in Los Angeles, Giant Skull embraces both physical and remote work environments. Asmussen expressed in a press release that the studio’s aim is to “craft a rich universe that players will want to lose themselves in for years to come.”
Giant Skull’s founding team comprises notable figures such as CTO Jon Carr (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), art director Patrick Murphy (Fortnite, League of Legends), lead producer Lauren McLemore (Fortnite), design director Jeff Magers (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), animation director Brian Campbell (Fortnite), and COO/CFO Anthony Scott (Rocksteady). Although the press release mentions talents from Rockstar, no specific names were disclosed.
The inaugural project from Giant Skull will be a single-player-focused action-adventure title of AAA caliber, developed utilizing Unreal Engine 5. While details remain scarce, including a release date or supported platforms, the game is in its early stages of development.
A website for Giant Skull has gone live, featuring an interactive command console allowing users to input prompts for further information. For instance, typing “GAME” into the console generates the response “Transported. Becoming. Exhilaration.”
Regarding the Star Wars Jedi series, reports suggest that a third installment is in progress. Despite EA’s significant revenue from Star Wars titles over the years, the company purportedly scrapped Respawn’s Star Wars Mandalorian game following CEO Andrew Wilson’s announcement of a strategic decision to reduce licensed game development.
