Say hi to new AAA studio That’s No Moon, founded by the alumni of Naughty Dog, Infinity Ward, Sony’s Santa Monica Studio, EA, and Bungie.
Image Credit: That’s No Moon Entertainment
The studio’s first title will be a story-driven action-adventure game, funded by a $100 million investment from CrossFire developer SmileGate Entertainment.
Taylor Kurosaki will lead the project as creative director. Kurosaki was previously narrative design lead at Naughty Dog and studio narrative director at Infinity Ward. He will be joined by game director Jacob Minkoff, formerly lead game designer on the Last of Us and design director of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.
According to the press release, the studio based in Los Angeles and San Diego will explore “the intersections of games, film, and TV,” with an aim of crafting “a new generation of narrative-driven, genre-defining experiences that will span both interactive and linear media.”
Commenting on the studio’s name, That’s No Moon CEO Michael Mumbauer told Inverse, “When we started thinking about what we wanted to call the studio, we really wanted to convey ideas of wonder and awe. We were building this incredible veteran team with combined experience unlike anything seen before. That’s No Moon was the perfect choice because it evokes those moments in entertainment that ignite your imagination and deliver something truly unexpected.”
The team is now around 40 developers strong. The plan is to reach 100 developers by 2022, so the studo is actively hiring across multiple disciplines.