The Dragon Age creator says his new RPG could make or break the studio

in between Baldur's Gate 2, Never winter nightsand Dragon AgeAuthor David Guider certainly had a storied career; However, his next project at Summerfall Studios could be a make-or-break moment for the studio if it can't secure funding. Dragon Age has been put on the back burner by EA after its underwhelming release Villegard In 2024, Guider is the first game in the series to be written.

Founded by David Guider and Liam Esler in 2017, Summerfall Studios has already released a few smaller projects. Guider's first game after releasing the now discontinued song was Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical In 2023, published by Balor Games, later MassageA roguelike deckbuilder set in 2025, which Summerfall Studios chose to release themselves. Both games were moderate successes for indie games on this scale, but now it looks like Gaider is looking for something bigger with his next project.

Tomodachi life characters on the table

Dragon Age Friends recreated in Tomodachi Life: Live the Dream

One Tomodachi Life: Dream Player Living gets creative by remaking friends from the Dragon Age games as Miis on their island.

In a recent interview with PC Gamer, David Gaider detailed what fans can expect from Summerfall Studios' upcoming RPG, saying, “You play a crew of bad guys on an airship that goes around committing heists,” and describing it as “not a full-on comedy, but something that makes me smile.” Later, however, Gadyear clearly states that the studio has had difficulty finding a publisher to fund the game. So far, Summerfall has completed a few prototypes for the RPG, but any publishers interested in the project want the game to be at least 80% complete before they decide to fund it, which is what the studio can and cannot do without proper funding. Guiden describes the search for the studio as a “make or break” situation, indicating that the studio will likely close if the publisher is not secured.

Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.





Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.

Easy (5) Medium (7) Hard (10)

During the interview, Gadier noted that what's happening with Summerfall is a result of the industry shrinking significantly over the past three years. Because game development is such a risky venture, publishers at this point don't want to back any video game until they know it's a safe bet and the game will be completed and released. And it's not just small studios like Gaidar's Summerfall Studios that have been affected; Life is strangeThe development studio has warned that it will run out of funds by November 2026 and is seeking relief.

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If Summerfall fails to secure funding and has to close, Gaider is unsure what direction to take given the state of the industry. Following thousands of layoffs at major publishers like Xbox and Sony each year, the author is unsure if he'll even find a place at another studio, given how saturated and competitive the market is. Hopefully, Guider can find a new home if his stealth RPG goes awry, and it looks like he might be open to returning to AAA game development if that happens.

When asked about returning Dragon AgeGaider's response shifted from a strict no to a willingness to take on the challenge, even with plans for what to do with it. This may be the end though Dragon Age For now, as things have changed at BioWare Mass Effect After his own layoff, Guider says that if he were handed the franchise again, he'd want to take it back to basics, go somewhere “dark and dangerous,” and do “things that upset people.” If Summerfall's heist RPG secures funding, fans may soon see what Gaider's not-a-comedy RPG is all about, but maybe in the future, he could be at the top of the cult-classic. Dragon Age one more time.

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