Ex-MultiVersus Directors Launch Indie Studio Airlock

The gaming world's latest plot twist hits like a rogue asteroid in a budget simulator: two directors from the ill-fated MultiVersus bail on the corporate black hole and start their own outfit. Justin Fischer and Brock Feldman, fresh from the wreckage of Player First Games, have fired up Airlock Games. Their debut? A sci-fi horror management sim called What the Stars Forgot, blending eldritch nightmares with pixelated punchlines. In an industry choking on its own bloated budgets, this move reeks of rebellion—or maybe just survival instinct.

Picture the scene: Warner Bros. snaps up Player First last summer, only to shutter it by May after MultiVersus's fifth season fizzles. Thousands of devs laid off across the board, projects axed like bad sequels. Fischer and Feldman aren't waiting for the next corporate purge. They're crowdfunding on Kickstarter, eyeing Steam Early Access in December 2025. It's a throwback to when games didn't cost more than a small country's GDP to make.

From AAA Bust to Indie Hustle

MultiVersus promised a crossover brawler bonanza, mashing up Batman with Bugs Bunny in a free-to-play frenzy. It raked in players but couldn't escape the gravitational pull of WB's cost-cutting spree. The studio's closure in May 2025 wasn't just a footnote; it was a symptom of the AAA plague—skyrocketing development costs, endless crunch, and executives treating devs like expendable NPCs.

Enter Airlock Games, announced October 28, 2025. Fischer and Feldman are flipping the script, aiming for smaller scopes, shorter playtimes, and prices that won't bankrupt your Steam wallet. What the Stars Forgot draws from Star Trek's exploratory vibes, The Terror's icy dread, and FTL's rogue-like tension. It's a 16-bit romp where you manage a starship crew facing cosmic horrors, laced with comedy to cut the terror. Think retro graphics masking modern mechanics, like a SNES cartridge hiding a quantum computer.

This isn't just nostalgia bait. The duo's ditching the AAA model for something sustainable. No more 200-person teams churning out 100-hour epics that flop harder than a lead balloon. Instead, focused experiences that respect your time—and theirs. The Kickstarter campaign isn't begging; it's building a community fortress against publisher whims.

The Broader Industry Rot

Zoom out, and Airlock's launch exposes the gaming industry's underbelly, writhing with layoffs and cancellations. WB's not alone; giants like Microsoft and Sony have slashed projects, leaving devs scrambling. Remember the Concord fiasco? Sony pulls the plug after two weeks, a $200 million black eye. Or Ubisoft's endless delays on Skull and Bones, finally limping out to yawns.

Fischer and Feldman embody the exodus. Industry vets are fleeing to indie havens, where creative control isn't a myth whispered in boardrooms. Subset Games with FTL proved small teams can deliver hits without Hollywood budgets. Supergiant's Hades blended myth and roguelike brilliance, raking in acclaim. Airlock's betting on that formula: innovation without the overhead.

AI's Shadow in Game Development

Here's where the tech absurdity creeps in. While Airlock sticks to human ingenuity, the industry's flirting with AI like a bad blind date. Tools like Unity and Godot—likely powering What the Stars Forgot—now integrate machine learning for procedural generation and asset creation. It's sold as a boon for indies, slashing costs and speeding prototypes.

But don't buy the hype. AI's churning out generic slop, flooding Steam with asset-flip garbage. For Airlock, the real edge comes from handcrafted horror-comedy, not algorithms spitting out pixel art. Yet, as AAA studios lean on AI to cut corners, indies like this could highlight the soul missing from machine-made games. Expect debates on whether AI democratizes dev or just dilutes creativity.

Expert Takes on the Shift

Voices from the trenches praise this pivot. Vets call it a direct jab at AAA volatility—Player First's shutdown as the canary in the coal mine. One analyst notes how crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter validate ideas without publisher gatekeepers, boasting a 35% success rate for games, higher for veteran-led projects.

The indie market's booming, claiming 35-40% of Steam sales. Horror-sci-fi sims are hot, with niches craving narrative depth over spectacle. Airlock's model—short dev cycles, community funding—could become the antidote to AAA's feast-or-famine cycle. It's not just survival; it's a blueprint for thriving in a market tired of endless live-service grinds.

Future Plays and Predictions

If What the Stars Forgot lands its Early Access punch in December 2025 and hits 1.0 by March 2026, watch the ripple effects. More AAA refugees might form their own studios, decentralizing power from the big publishers. Retro graphics fused with complex themes could spark a renaissance, pulling in nostalgic boomers and TikTok zoomers alike.

Predictions? Success here boosts crowdfunding's clout, making it the go-to for risky innovations. On the flip side, if it flops, it underscores indie's perils—without AAA safety nets, one dud could sink the ship. Still, the trend points up: gamers crave bite-sized brilliance over bloated blockbusters.

Recommendations for devs eyeing this path: Nail your pitch on Kickstarter, leverage community feedback, and keep scopes tight. For players, back these ventures—your dollars shape the future beyond corporate dreck.

Wrapping the Void

Airlock Games isn't just a studio launch; it's a manifesto against the gaming industry's self-inflicted wounds. Fischer and Feldman's leap from MultiVersus's ashes to indie autonomy spotlights the hunger for creative freedom amid corporate carnage. Key takeaways: AAA's on shaky ground, indies are rising with smarter models, and blending horror with humor in sci-fi wrappers might just be the next big thing. In a sector where promises evaporate like oxygen in a hull breach, Airlock's betting on human ingenuity to navigate the stars. The question is, will the industry follow, or keep chasing the black hole of endless profits?