Ex-Bungie CEO Harold Ryan Resurfaces With A New Game Company Called ProbablyMonsters

probably monsters logo white bg bannerOver the past couple of weeks, new game development studios have been popping up like mushrooms after a rainy day. Here’s another one from former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan. After being MIA for more than three years, Ryan re-emerges to announce a new multi-studio game company called ProbablyMonsters.

ProbablyMonsters employs a non-traditional business structure to develop AAA games. Basically, it’s not quite a studio and not quite a publisher either. According to Ryan, the company invests in new studios to become majority owners. The studios continue to operate as independent companies under their own management with Probably Monsters helping out with business planning, creative visions, and development support. “The goal is to build development teams that eventually don't need me,” said Ryan in an interview with Gamasutra.

“ProbablyMonsters is a new category of game company for the next generation of gaming, neither a traditional developer nor a publisher. Instead, it creates and sustains independently operated development studios, each specifically formed to develop hit entertainment franchises in genres they are passionate about. Under Ryan’s leadership, the ProbablyMonsters team is establishing a strong foundation built on successfully leading multiple AAA games while establishing a positive creative culture, starting with studio formation, culture, people development, creative development, funding, staffing, administrative, and technical needs.”

The company currently has two development studios: Cauldron Studios and Firewalk Studios. Both studios are currently working on their own original triple-A games and already have publishing deals in place for their respective projects. Both studios are also being led by industry veterans who Ryan worked with during his time with Bungie.

Cauldron Studios has ex-Bungie and WB Games Art Director Dave Matthews at the helm, while former Halo Director and Destiny: Taken King Story Lead CJ Cowan serves as the studio’s Game Director. Firewalk Studios is headed by former SVP and GM for the Destiny unit of Activision Publishing. Ex-Bungie Creative Director Ryan Ellis is now Game Director for Firewalk.

ProbablyMonsters raised $18.8 million back in July in a Series A funding round led by Dallas Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones, Crescent Real Estate and Goff Capital Chairman John Goff, Luther King Capital Management affiliates, and venture capitalist David Oxford who was also part of the Executive Team at Activision.

Find out more on the ProbablyMonsters official site.