Giant Skull, a game studio founded in 2014 by Stig Asmussen, the former director of God of War and Star Wars Jedi, has just signed a deal with Wizards of the Coast to create a new action-adventure game based on the Dungeons & Dragons franchise. Asmussen’s previous work with John Hight, now president of Wizards of the Coast, helped facilitate the deal. 
In a recent interview with The Game Business, Asmussen revealed that despite their growing success, Giant Skull doesn’t plan to expand into a large studio anytime soon.
According to Asmussen, the team remains small, with only about 35 members, and they have no intention of growing much larger in the foreseeable future. “I don’t see us becoming like a massive team. We want to keep it manageable and focused,” Asmussen said. He believes that with their current resources, experience, and expertise, the team can achieve a lot without needing to become a massive operation.
While Giant Skull won’t grow in size, they are relying heavily on outsourcing to get the job done. “If you don’t outsource, you’re going to fall behind in this industry,” Asmussen explained. However, he emphasized the importance of finding the right partners whose goals align with the studio’s vision. They have already begun working with some top-tier outsourcing partners to help expand their capabilities without losing their core focus.
Additionally, Giant Skull will benefit from the support of Wizards of the Coast’s newly formed team of artists. According to Hight, this team will assist in creating premium games, providing expert help in areas like fantasy and sci-fi art. The studio is also using Unreal Engine 5 for all its premium games, and they are working to establish a dedicated content creation team to assist with development during various phases.
The collaboration with Wizards of the Coast aims to ensure that Giant Skull’s games are created efficiently without cutting corners. Asmussen highlighted that the studio plans to use talented artists and worldbuilders to support them during early development stages, preventing any downtime while keeping costs in check.
Though the game is still in early stages, Asmussen and Hight have made it clear that it won’t be rushed. The team expects the game to take at least three years to complete, so fans can expect a long wait for the final product.