Cliff Bleszinski has hinted at a return to gaming, despite retiring from the industry following the closure of his studio Boss Key Productions. The legendary game director, who is best known for developing the Gears of War and Unreal series, has already made one thing clear about his latest game idea: “IT’S NOT A F***NG BATTLE ROYALE.”
“CliffyB” took some time off to “reflect” in early 2018, after Boss Key Productions’ FPS LawBreakers performed poorly and the studio’s make-or-break battle royale Radical Heights also struggled to find an audience. In November 2018, Bleszinski said that he would “NEVER” make another video game following Boss Key’s closure.
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However, it appears that Bleszinski has had second thoughts. “UGH guys I kinda have a game idea and it won’t get out of my head,” he tweeted. “I thought I was truly done. But then, stupid brain shows up. UGH.”
Though Bleszinski offered no additional details in regards to the game idea, he did clarify that it wouldn’t be a battle royale:
https://twitter.com/therealcliffyb/status/1161808275517640705
This isn’t the first time Bleszinski has discussed a new game idea following the close of Boss Key Productions. Back in mid-2018, the former game director shared a concept he had for an unreleased game titled “Dragonflies,” which featured dragon-riding ninjas taking on armies of the undead.
Since the shuttering of Boss Key Productions, Bleszinski has stepped into producer roles in a variety of projects outside the gaming industry. In December 2018, he co-produced the Broadway musical Hadestown, while he is also serving as the executive producer of the upcoming Gears of War movie.
Still, many will be happy to see CliffyB return to the games industry. With his former studio Epic Games having achieved stratospheric success following the launch of Fortnite, there’s still room for competitive multiplayer shooters that aren’t battle royale games, which Bleszinski previously specialized in.
