Left to right: Shroud, Project Astrid creative director Lance Winter and Sacriel
Streamers Sacriel and Shroud have teamed up with game developer Splash Damage to work on a new open world survival game codenamed Project Astrid.
Splash Damage is the UK-based developer behind Gears Tactics, Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and the recently announced Transformers Reactivate, while Sacriel and Shroud are well-known streamers from the UK and Canada respectively.
The game project is codenamed Project Astrid, and is Splash Damage’s first original IP in the open world survival genre era.
Splash Damage said in a press release that ‘with millions of combined followers, Sacriel and Shroud are bringing a unique perspective to the development process from the very start, sharing their experience as players, streamers, subject matter experts, and community builders and leaders’.
With a 450-strong studio in South London, Splash Damage’s announcement of Project Astrid follows the reveal of Transformers Reactivate at The Game Awards in December.
The studio has also bolstered its capabilities by recently acquiring UK-based Bulkhead, and built its own in-house publishing team.
Project Astrid is currently in pre-production, and more will be revealed in the near future.
‘We want to build the best survival game ever, and with Sacriel’s brain and Splash Damage’s team, I know we can do it’ – Shroud on Project Astrid
Richard Jolly, CEO of Splash Damage, said: “Founding from friends who met in online PvP, Splash Damage has been passionate about crafting unforgettable multiplayer experiences for over 20 years. Project Astrid is the culmination of this passion, born out of a partnership with two close friends, who also happen to be incredibly well-respected experts in our industry. We’re excited to share something fresh with our fans, as we take a bold step forward and craft a game that’s truly different from anything we’ve done before.”
“This project means everything to me,” added Mike ‘Shroud’ Grzesiek. “Chris and I have refined a vision for what’s next in the survival genre and with Splash Damage we’re setting out to build it. We want to build the best survival game ever, and with Sacriel’s brain and Splash Damage’s team, I know we can do it.”
Chris ‘Sacriel’ Ball said: “This is a dream come true. Mike and I have been envisioning a world where we help build the game that streamers and gamers love playing. To be able to execute with a team as esteemed and experienced as Splash Damage is a privilege. In our work together to date, it is clear to us that we are truly part of the team and that we are well positioned to help bring this dream to reality.”
Lance Winter, Creative Director on Project Astrid, said: “Sacriel and shroud are core members of our development team, bringing with them a unique and fresh perspective. Not only that, but they’re providing us brand new insights into what fans and creators actually want from their gaming experiences. No one knows this genre better than they do.”
Dave Miller, Head of Publishing, commented: “Working with Sacriel and shroud has given us a unique opportunity. This new era of Splash Damage is about doing things differently, but also owning the entire process; from concept to publishing. Bringing in the guys right at the start of the process allows us to use their knowledge and experience, collaborating with them to make something truly unique in the genre.”
Players can learn more about Project Astrid via the Splash Damage newsletter.
Related posts:
Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
