A group of former Volition Studio (Saints Row 1-4) veterans have joined together to form Shapeshifter Games and are now working with inXile Entertainment (The Bards Tale 1-4 and ARPG, Wasteland 2-3 and remastered). The two studios are collaborating to co-develop Clockwork Revolution, a steampunk RPG that was revealed last June at the Xbox Games Showcase 2023. It also turns out the two studios already have a history together going all the way back to the 1990s when inXile Entertainment’s CEO left Interplay to form his own studio and published classics like FreeSpace and Descent.
Description (via Xbox):
“Clockwork Revolution is a time-bending steampunk first-person RPG. After stumbling across an incredible invention that allows you to travel into the past, you discover the city you call home—the vibrant steam-powered metropolis of Avalon—has been carefully crafted through the alteration of historical events. By traveling back to key moments, your interactions and choices will have a butterfly effect on the deep, narrative-driven world and characters of Avalon, causing them to change and react in unprecedented ways.”
From Volition to Shapeshifter Games
Volition had been through a bumpy ride over the last two decades, before its closure following the unsuccessful launch of the last Saints Row game. The studio had changed ownership throughout the years and ultimately became a casualty of one of the many that continued to be closed after having been acquired by Embracer Group. Fortunately, those who could stay on, and with the assistance of Microsoft, were able to re-form into Shapeshifter Games and get back on their feet after a meeting with inXile Entertainment, and as it turns out the two studios already have a bit of a history together.
Per inXile Entertainment:
“We’re happy to announce that the newly formed Shapeshifter Games—formed of ex-Volition developers—is working with us to help bring Clockwork Revolution to life.
Shortly after Volition closed, we flew to Illinois and worked with Xbox and the then ex-Volition leadership to secure this new team as our co-development partner. Their wealth of industry experience further bolstering our efforts in developing our upcoming steampunk RPG Clockwork Revolution.
But the story doesn’t start there, our history with Volition goes back to the 90’s as our Studio Head Brian Fargo published their classics at Interplay. “I was very grateful to be able to help secure this new studio and get some truly amazing developers to help make Clockwork a reality. Co-dev groups are almost a given these days, but this one is special for us because of my long history with them going back to the Descent and FreeSpace games.”
inXile President Chris Keenan’s also has some history with the team. “One of the first games I tested in my career was Descent, so I have a special place in my heart for the Parallax/Volition team and history. First priority was ensuring these folks had a place to land on Clockwork Revolution, and we’re thankful we were able to get it done so quickly. Bringing in new development partners can be challenging, but this was a rare partnership that felt right from the beginning.”
Shapeshifter Games Studio Head, Matt Madigan added “The talented and experienced team that joined Shapeshifter has hit the ground running. We’ve had a lot of support from former Volitionites, and are truly grateful to inXile and Microsoft for the opportunity to assist with the development of a great new IP.”
We’re of course looking forward to sharing more about Clockwork Revolution. . . in due time.”
Release date
As the former Volition Studio developers regroup and begin moving forward it will interesting to see what other projects they can bring to fruition. No release date has been announced for Clockwork Revolution but inXile Entertainment has said that its development is winding down so one could soon be forthcoming. The game is being published by Xbox Game Studios for Xbox X|S and PC.