The creators of Valor Mortis believe that one of the biggest problems in the AAA gaming industry today is that publishers are increasingly afraid to invest in smaller-scale projects. As AAA game development costs continue to balloon, a game without a huge budget, massive playtime, or enormous market seems to easily get labeled as “high risk.”
Expedition 33 Proves They Thought Wrong
They point to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as the best example. This title didn’t follow the traditional AAA giant route, yet it successfully sparked player discussion with its unique art style, story, and turn-based combat—proving that players don’t necessarily just want bigger maps, higher budgets, and longer playtimes.
The problem becomes a bit awkward: if a mid-sized game succeeds, publishers are happy, but if it fails, it might be viewed as a major loss due to limited market size. The result is that more companies would rather pour resources into proven franchises than risk betting on new IPs. The creators believe the industry needs more success stories like Expedition 33 to show publishers that “smaller” doesn’t mean “can’t make money.”
Valor Mortis Wants to Be the Next Example
Valor Mortis itself is a first-person action RPG, and the development team wants to prove that mid-sized projects can also deliver ambitious experiences. At the end of the day, players might not really need a billion-dollar feast every time—sometimes a well-made snack is more memorable. Now it’s up to Valor Mortis to become the next example that convinces big publishers.