Remedy Entertainment is taking a new approach with one of its upcoming titles. The Finnish video game developer has decided to reimagine its multiplayer project, Project Vanguard. This game, which had been in development since 2018, was initially envisioned as a free-to-play, cooperative PvE shooter. However, recent developments have led to a significant change in direction.
The project, now rebranded as Kestrel, was at a proof-of-concept stage until recently. The collaboration with Tencent is aiming to create a game that fused Remedy’s narrative expertise with action-packed multiplayer gameplay. But free-to-play games are no longer en vogue as its associated risks have become more well-known, prompting a reassessment of the project’s trajcetory. As a result, Kestrel is now a premium game, emphasizing a strong cooperative multiplayer component. The good news is that this aligns better with Remedy’s core competencies as a studio while allowing them to pick up exactly where they left off with Project Vanguard.
Tero Virtala, CEO of Remedy Entertainment, expressed confidence in this new direction. He acknowledged the strides in free-to-play and multiplayer development but emphasized the importance of building around Remedy’s strengths. This pivot to a premium model, with continued support from Tencent, signifies a strategic move to create a distinct cooperative multiplayer experience that resonates with the studio’s expertise.
The decision to reboot the project to Kestrel and shift focus comes in the context of a challenging environment for free-to-play titles, evidenced by the cancellation of other games like Creative Assembly’s Hyenas. The change has not led to any layoffs at Remedy, with developers from the Vanguard team either moving to other projects or contributing to the conceptualization of Kestrel.
Remedy’s recent success with Alan Wake 2 has likely played a role in this decision. The studio is known for its strong as well as unique narrative-driven games, and this expertise is expected to be a significant aspect of Kestrel. The work on Kestrel is now back in the concept phase, and it will be built on many features, assets, and themes initially designed for Vanguard. Fortunately, Remedy is well-known for sticking to its timelines despite being a relatively smaller studio compared to its competitors.
In addition to Kestrel, Remedy is actively working on several other projects, including remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X, a sequel to Control, and a Control spin-off codenamed Condor. The latter is another multiplayer game that has progressed from the proof-of-concept to the production readiness stage, indicating Remedy’s growing interest in multiplayer experiences.
Virtala’s comments suggest a strategic focus on aligning game development with the studio’s strengths, potentially to help position Kestrel as another successful title under Remedy’s belt. As the studio navigates its way through an ever-evolving gaming market, its decision to switch from a free-to-play model to a premium game mid-development could set a precedent in the industry, particularly for studios known for their single-player titles.
With no release windows announced yet for Kestrel or other ongoing projects, the gaming community will be keenly watching Remedy’s next moves, especially in the multiplayer domain.
