Tomb Raider creator Tony Gard has gathered a group of experienced developers from the Callof Duty and Spec Ops: The Line teams to create a new indie studio, Tangentlemen. The first upcoming title from the studio, titled “Daealus” is described as an “existential, surreal horror trip.”
According to GI.biz, the California-based studio will be run by Gard. Creative director duties will be shared between Gard and Corey Davis, who worked at TimeGate Studios and Monolith, before his creative director and lead designer role on Yager’s Spec Ops: The Line. The two veterans are joined by art director Rick Smith, who worked at Infinity Ward and Respawn Entertainment. Finally, John Garcia-Shelton, Call of Duty & Medal of Honor developer, will take on the role of general manager and head of production.
Gard released a statement regarding the new team, saying:
“The rocketing costs of AAA development led to a creative stagnation in games until the recent explosion of the indie scene. We have formed Tangentlemen to take some creative risks and trust our belief that there is an audience who want fun experiences that don’t fall comfortably inside predefined marketing boxes.”
David added:
“Our solutions are not what you’d expect. They’re often weird, or even absurd, with strong gestures that challenge the status quo. Our games are extreme in their thematic, narrative, and mechanical design. I seriously can’t wait to tell you exactly what we’re up to right now.”
Best of luck to Tangentlemen. We cannot wait to see what Daedalus will be like.