Video Games

Ex-BioWare, Bethesda, and Naughty Dog devs announce new studio and debut title

NEARstudios’ first game is called Hawthorn

Marco Wutz

NEARstudios

A group of former developers working at studios like BioWare, Bethesda, and Naughty Dog have founded a new venture based in Maryland in the United States, NEARstudios. 

Its debut title is called Hawthorn and will be a co-op sandbox RPG – and you can find the reveal trailer for it below. According to Game Developer, the title combines elements of classic village sims with nostalgic adventure stories.

NEARstudios is led by Heather Cerlan as CEO and creative director and Jason Richardson as game director. Cerlan previously worked at companies like EA, Bethesda, and Naughty Dog, while Richardson is the former lead designer at Funcom and worked at Bethesda and BioWare. Speaking of Bethesda: Former Skyrim lead designer Bruce Nesmith is with NEARstudios, too.

Hawthorn got a Steam page today, which described the game as follows: “Once upon a time, woodland creatures built a trading post in forgotten Windermere Valley, but now it is the haunt of varmints, fairy lights, and mysterious rumors about why this village was abandoned.”

It continues: “To you, however, this is a hope for a new life. Recruit villagers and grow a community. Defend against the elements and forest tricksters. Thrive and celebrate the seasons’ traditions. Rebuilding won’t be easy, but you and your newfound friends are up to the challenge.”

“Play solo or co-op with your friends alongside village NPCs. The most curious folk come through Windermere Valley. Most are good creatures looking for a fresh start, each with their own story to share – if you befriend them. Local superstition won’t keep you from exploring the surrounding wilderness for resources and treasure! But things change in Windermere Valley. The four seasons – with their rains and snow – bring unique challenges. And the way the woodland shifts and the strange creatures that come and go might make you believe the old legends. Harvest, fish, and farm. Tasks you’d rather not do? Your NPC villagers can take them on instead! Rebuild and decorate the homes among the roots of great trees. Learn to craft different styles. Cater to your villagers’ preferences and they will follow you to the end,” it concludes.

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Marco Wutz
MARCO WUTZ

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany. He has a degree in Ancient History and a particular love for real-time and turn-based strategy games like StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, Age of Wonders, Crusader Kings, and Civilization as well as a soft spot for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. He began covering StarCraft 2 as a writer in 2011 for the largest German community around the game and hosted a live tournament on a stage at gamescom 2014 before he went on to work for Bonjwa, one of the country's biggest Twitch channels. He branched out to write in English in 2015 by joining tl.net, the global center of the StarCraft scene run by Team Liquid, which was nominated as the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. He worked as a translator on The Crusader Stands Watch, a biography in memory of Dennis "INTERNETHULK" Hawelka, and provided live coverage of many StarCraft 2 events on the social channels of tl.net as well as DreamHack, the world's largest gaming festival. From there, he transitioned into writing about the games industry in general after his graduation, joining GLHF, a content agency specializing in video games coverage for media partners across the globe, in 2021. He has also written for NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today's ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade. Email: marco.wutz@glhf.gg

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