All is just not effectively on this planet of ProbablyMonsters.
CEO Harold Ryan not too long ago informed Recreation Developer that the studio is on the trail to sustainability with its first two recreation releases Storm Lancers and Ire: A Prologue. Storm Lancers was touted as a particular instance of a “short-term” recreation that might be made shortly to help bigger video games that require extra time in improvement.
There is a slight concern: the story of Storm Lancers’ improvement is far much less easy than it first appeared. Following our interview with Ryan, builders accustomed to the challenge informed us that the sport did not have a “short-term” improvement cycle, and it was primarily made by exterior improvement studio Companion Group.Â
Moreover, these sources allege that the sport was largely created utilizing belongings from one other canceled recreation that was 4 years in improvement by ProbablyMonsters’ shuttered subsidiary Battle Barge, each calling the “short-term” improvement claims into query and illuminating what sources describe as mismanagement inside ProbablyMonsters.
That info comes from 11 former ProbablyMonsters workers and others accustomed to Battle Barge, which was making a co-op multiplayer third-person shooter referred to as “Mission Vance.” The sport was canceled in October 2024. 9 of the sources we spoke with requested anonymity for concern of retaliation.
In keeping with them, Ryan’s characterization of Storm Lancers as a “short-term” recreation is one in all many indicators of mismanagement and chaos at a studio based on the promise of constructing a greater approach to make triple-A video games.
Who’s ProbablyMonsters?
First based in 2016 by former Bungie CEO Harold Ryan, ProbablyMonsters exited “stealth mode” in 2019 with the announcement of an $18.8 million funding spherical and a professed mission to construct a “higher mannequin” for triple-A recreation improvement. It housed quite a few recreation studios working beneath names like “Cauldron,” “Iron,” “Hidden Grove,” “Battle Barge,” and Harmony developer Firewalk Studios.
It went on to boost over $400 million within the subsequent three years, ultimately promoting Firewalk Studios to Sony Interactive Leisure in 2023 for an undisclosed quantity. Sony would later shutter Firewalk and shut down Harmony after the multiplayer first-person shooter debuted to infamously low gross sales.
It was round that point interval that builders say issues started to worsen, starting with the shutdown of Cauldron. An inner e-mail despatched by Ryan in 2024 acknowledged that Cauldron had been canceled by an unnamed writer. Sources described a rolling wave of recreation cancelations from 2023 by means of 2025, the place tasks from Iron, Hidden Grove, and Battle Barge have been “paused,” some builders let go, and others moved to totally different groups about each 6-9 months, at the same time as new tasks have been commonly greenlit.
Atmosphere artist Carol Ha-Torrez was one of many builders laid off from Battle Barge by ProbablyMonsters in 2024. She’d joined the studio after Digital Arts laid her and dozens of different builders off from Respawn Leisure earlier that 12 months.
She turned down a proposal to switch to EA Battlefield Studios developer Ripple Impact after listening to optimistic phrase about ProbablyMonsters’ “developer-first” tradition.
By the point ProbablyMonsters shut down Battle Barge, Ha-Torez and the opposite former workers we spoke with mentioned all indicators of that supportive tradition have been gone—changed by a chaotic office the place Ryan allegedly surveilled workers, blamed staff behind their backs for failures outdoors their management, and shifted challenge targets on the drop of a hat.
A spokesperson for ProbablyMonsters offered the next assertion in response to detailed questions despatched by Recreation Developer about these layoffs and Ryan’s alleged conduct. “ProbablyMonsters has at all times been outlined by the dedication, onerous work, and creativity of its groups,” they acknowledged. “In recent times, the gaming trade has been continually evolving, and constructing an organization on this surroundings means going through powerful decisions with no simple solutions. These decisions require balancing the quick wants of our folks whereas understanding the affect they will have.”
“On the identical time, we’ve a duty to maintain the corporate wholesome for the long run. We imagine being accountable isn’t nearly getting all the pieces proper within the second. It’s about staying true to our mission of supporting lasting careers in recreation improvement. We all know this work is rarely easy, and we work onerous daily to study, modify, and enhance.”
“By means of all of it, our precedence has remained the identical: respecting workers for his or her contributions and treating them pretty, together with giving credit to groups previous and current who contribute to our tasks. Constructing a supportive tradition has at all times been central to who we’re, and we’re targeted on making ProbablyMonsters a spot the place groups can do their finest artistic work.”
Battle Barge’s headcount and route shifted in a single day
In our earlier dialog with Ryan, the ProbablyMonsters CEO acknowledged that the corporate “checked out” the potential of turning its canceled reside service video games into standalone premium titles. However Battle Barge’s remaining voyage was way more dramatic.
In September 2024 Ryan introduced that former builders from Hidden Grove and Iron can be assigned to help Battle Barge’s new mission: turning Mission Vance right into a premium triple-A title that might ship as a standalone recreation in 2025. The primary milestone: a playable “winter construct” with a November deadline.
Battle Barge’s staff dimension successfully multiplied in a single day, leaping from round 30-40 to an estimated 100 builders. Sources mentioned Ryan ignored warnings that including dozens of staff and altering the scope of the challenge would make improvement tougher.
Communication grew to become arduous as builders who beforehand labored carefully collectively have been cut up into totally different strike groups assigned to totally different duties. One group of Hidden Grove alumni was tasked with constructing a 10-hour marketing campaign mode from scratch—all whereas making an attempt to study new instruments, processes, and file buildings that had been constructed over 4 years by a wholly totally different staff.
Sources differed on whether or not this was a interval of “crunch” or not. Some mentioned they stored regular hours, however Ha-Torrez referred to as it a interval of “mushy crunch,” the place she witnessed some colleagues submitting Perforce updates at midnight.
“You would lower the stress with a knife,” she mentioned. Different former workers mentioned daily they feared they’d lose their jobs, particularly after Ryan fired video games groups chief product officer Adam Rymer on October 22, which was introduced internally by way of a studio-wide e-mail reviewed by Recreation Developer.
Regardless of the challenges, sources mentioned the event staff hit their assigned targets. A playable construct of Mission Vance was able to go on October 28, in line with one e-mail documenting the outcomes of a construct verification check which acknowledged the sport was prepared for QA testing and inner playtesting.
However they by no means had an opportunity to hit the end line. On October 28, earlier than the winter construct might be finalized, ProbablyMonsters laid off almost 50 workers and shuttered Battle Barge, rolling the remaining staff onto different tasks. ProbablyMonsters then transferred the Mission Vance IP and belongings to Companion Group to develop Storm Lancers within a 12 months.Â
The sport doesn’t credit score former Battle Barge builders. As a substitute there’s a quick be aware within the credit acknowledging the “dedication, creativity, and onerous work” of previous and current ProbablyMonsters workers. An organization spokesperson alluded to this message when requested about Companion Group’s involvement within the making of Storm Lancers.
“The credit for the sport replicate the contributions of many groups concerned in its improvement. We respect the work of all groups, previous and current, and people contributions are acknowledged within the credit.”
The credit of Storm Lancers, which embrace workers of ProbablyMonsters and Companion Group. Picture by way of ProbablyMonsters.
Recreation Developer reviewed a recording of the Zoom name the place laid-off staff demanded to know why there had been no layoff notification as required by the WARN Act. The WARN Act mandates that eligible employers concern advance discover of layoffs if an workplace or plant is being shuttered, leading to 50 or extra full-time workers shedding their jobs. Roughly 54 folks had joined the Zoom name.
Ha-Torrez and others mentioned it felt like the corporate deliberate layoffs and challenge adjustments to keep away from issuing these notices. Mentioned technique is “quite common” amongst employers mentioned KUSK Legislation associate Don McGowan, an exterior authorized knowledgeable consulted throughout this reporting. When requested if the technique is authorized, he mentioned he does not really feel it is per “the obligations the legislation locations on employers.”
On the recorded name, ProbablyMonsters affiliate common counsel Kristen Daniels repeatedly harassed that the variety of laid-off workers didn’t cross the mandated threshold. “We have performed the maths very rigorously,” she mentioned.
QA workers have been commonly within the crosshairs
In keeping with our sources, like former check supervisor Douglas Martin, the chaos and confusion on the coronary heart of ProbablyMonsters got here from Ryan himself and the cadre of former Bungie colleagues and shut associates who staffed his C-suite. Ryan’s erratic conduct apparently impacted ProbablyMonsters’ centralized QA staff effectively earlier than the shift in route for Mission Vance.
In 2022 he ordered all QA workers to return to the workplace full-time, even these employed remotely or who have been working with distant groups. Some testers lived hours away from the studio. Martin mentioned Ryan was solely within the workplace himself one or two days per week.
He recalled a gathering the place Ryan defined to QA testers why they’d not obtain any further compensation for having to commute into the workplace (regardless of the extra bills some would incur). “You guys are already paid on the prime of the market. You’ll be able to afford to commute,” he mentioned, in line with Martin.
After returning to the workplace, testers have been informed that Ryan personally monitored after they swiped badges to enter and exit the constructing. Throughout this time, the division’s staffing ranges fluctuated, with managers like Martin and division heads like central providers head Ron Henseleit being immediately ousted from the corporate. Candidates for open QA positions can be interviewed, just for the place to be axed, typically allegedly at Ryan’s route.
QA tester Jessica Gonzalez, previously a office organizer for A Higher ABK at Activision Blizzard, informed Recreation Developer she remembers being “strung alongside” for a job at ProbablyMonsters after receiving a verbal provide from Martin in 2024. Martin remembered making the choice to rent Gonzalez and telling her she’d have a proposal letter quickly—after which being informed to not ship it. The place was closed a number of weeks later.
Martin recalled the incident and mentioned “there was no cause to not rent” her, including that he nonetheless feels “actually shitty” about what occurred to Gonzalez.
QA staff have been additionally commonly blamed for issues utterly outdoors their management. One former tester recalled that Ryan often mentioned QA was chargeable for Harmony improvement not transferring at a quicker tempo, typically in conferences with QA staffers from Firewalk Studios.
At one level, QA testers have been tasked with inspecting community code at Hidden Grove, one thing they have been by no means educated to do. Later, they grew to become the ultimate level of validation for brand new Mission Vance recreation options.
This latter directive was allegedly issued throughout a interval when all our nameless sources have been conscious Ryan had moved his desk right into a newly shaped “QA bullpen” that many joked was a “panopticon.” Ryan apparently insisted that this was not a surveillance measure, however one that will permit him to be the primary to verify submitted builds.
This earned him the moniker of “the world’s costliest tester.”
Surveillance, blame video games, and “speaking shit”
Martin defined to Recreation Developer that he and Ryan have been fellow check leads on the unique Xbox within the early 2000s. He had no plans to work with the long run ProbablyMonsters CEO after that first encounter, solely taking the job at ProbablyMonsters after being assured by then-QA director Prodipto Roy that Ryan had modified his methods.
Martin mentioned that gave the impression to be true—till the shutdown of Cauldron in 2023. A number of sources informed Recreation Developer that the troubles on the firm began round this time. The previous check supervisor alleged that Ryan was surrounded by shut allies who enabled his conduct whereas behaving simply as badly themselves. “There’s lots of people working with Harold who’re enabling him and doing the identical factor,” he mentioned.
Throughout this era of tumult, ProbablyMonsters greenlit new tasks and employed builders to work on them, solely to reverse course with out public fanfare, together with one from a staff referred to as “Icaro” that was internally introduced in July 2024, solely to be canceled in December of that 12 months.
Sources described a number of events the place builders interviewed on the firm, solely to have their provide letters rescinded or placed on maintain at Ryan’s route. One potential worker reportedly moved to Washington state to work in-office and leased an condo just for Ryan to “nuke” her place and rescind her provide letter days earlier than she began.
.jpg?width=1280&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale "A screenshot of Storm Lancers. Two cartoon characters battle monsters in a cartoony 2D environment.")
Character fashions, 2D artwork, and shaders from Mission Vance are seen throughout Storm Lancers. Picture by way of ProbablyMonsters.
A number of sources additionally claimed that Ryan surveilled workers. He issued common warnings about distant staff taking any time away from their desks, regardless of Battle Barge management beforehand stating workers have been free to handle their very own time and make up work later within the day if wanted.
Ryan apparently issued these warnings after becoming a member of the Battle Barge “AFK” Slack channel the place staff would drop notices about their standing. He denied inner rumors on the time that he was monitoring workers in a company-wide Slack message reviewed by Recreation Developer. In it, he claimed these rumors had pushed builders to “make up” work filed in challenge administration software Jira.
Sources additionally mentioned Ryan and different members of senior management commonly disparaged colleagues behind their backs. “He loves to speak shit,” mentioned a former QA tester when describing mentioned feedback. Ryan allegedly verbally disparaged Mission Vance round some workers, and phrase of his displeasure with the sport unfold by means of the studio.
Ryan took further swipes at his former colleagues from Firewalk Studios in a sequence of Slack messages despatched whereas ProbablyMonsters workers mentioned the sudden shutdown of Harmony. “As recreation builders who at all times search to like what we do, Harmony ought to function proof of the cautionary tales about constructing for your self vs your viewers,” he mentioned in a single message.
In one other one despatched after Firewalk was shut down, the CEO merely mentioned “they refused to hear for years.”
Unkept guarantees, unattainable targets
Ha-Torrez, Martin and all our different sources mentioned Ryan’s conduct flew within the face of guarantees by ProbablyMonsters to construct a optimistic office tradition. Ha-Torrez offered a replica of the welcome letter despatched by Ryan the place he acknowledged that he began the studio partly to make triple-A video games “with out the burden of builders experiencing tough cultures, unpredictable compensation, and unstable employment.”
“I’m dedicated to persevering with with the imaginative and prescient of placing folks first,” he wrote.
One veteran developer pointed to the outsourcing of Storm Lancers and constructing it off years-old belongings from Mission Vance as a transparent crimson flag for Ryan’s imaginative and prescient of the corporate. When this developer learn our interview with Ryan, they mentioned it felt just like the CEO was claiming he discovered a mannequin for making video games shortly and sustainably. They have been apprehensive different studios would use his mannequin as inspiration.Â
Ryan’s conduct and the chaotic layoffs surrounding Cauldron, Iron, Hidden Grove, and Battle Barge drove all of the builders we spoke with to precise doubt over Ryan’s promise that the studio is on the trail to sustainability.
“It is not actual,” mentioned the veteran developer, alluding to Ryan’s professed imaginative and prescient for “short-term” video games that act as a monetary buffer for bigger tasks. “I do not need folks to imagine it is actual as a result of that is simply not going to work for everybody.”
Replace 9/23: This story has been up to date to appropriately state Adam Rymer’s earlier job title at ProbablyMonsters as chief product officer. It beforehand acknowledged he was chief of employees, video games. It has additionally been up to date to right a typo misidentifying Ryan and appropriately state Martin’s job title.
