David Gaider, the architect behind the world of Thedas and the Dragon Age series, is currently fighting to bring his next project to life. The Summerfall Studios co-founder is pitching a new heist-themed RPG, but the project’s future remains uncertain as the studio navigates a difficult climate for game development funding.
- Developer: Summerfall Studios
- Concept: A heist RPG involving a crew of rogues on an airship
- Current Status: Seeking publisher funding for completion
- Key Challenge: Industry-wide contraction and publisher risk aversion
Describing the concept, Gaider explains, "You play a crew of rogues in an airship that go around performing heists. And this leads you into a plot that becomes, maybe, your more typical RPG." Unlike the dense, often dark fantasy of his past work, he is aiming for a slightly more lighthearted tone, noting, "It seems like at this point in the world, we could use something like that.u201d
The Funding Hurdle
Despite positive reception from publishers, the project has yet to secure the capital needed to cross the finish line. Gaider cites a "weird contraction" in the industry that has persisted for nearly three years, leading to widespread studio layoffs and a shift in how publishers approach new investments.
"Nobody wants to actually commit to a project unless they think it's a sure thing," Gaider says. "New projects, almost nothing's getting funded." According to Gaider, some publishers are effectively waiting for games to be 80% complete before committing, a strategy that places significant strain on independent developers like Summerfall. Finding the necessary funding for this prototype is, by his admission, a "make or break" moment for his studio.
Reflecting on Agency and Design
Gaider’s career is defined by his work on Baldur's Gate 2 and the Dragon Age franchise, where companions could—and often would—turn on the player based on their moral choices. He argues that this potential for friction is vital for narrative stakes. "They need the ability to be unhappy with your decisions, and possibly even turn on you," he says. "If you don't follow it to its natural conclusion, it's like playing a D&D game where you know that the DM will never kill your character."
He expresses concern that modern RPG design has shifted toward avoiding player frustration at the expense of character depth. Regarding his philosophy on companions, he insists they should have identities that override player convenience. "Are they there just to provide enjoyment for the player?" he asks. "If the answer is, 'No, our goal with this writing is to create believable characters that have agency of their own'... then you should follow through with them having identities of their own."
Looking Ahead
The studio’s previous title, Stray Gods, suffered in the market after Larian Studios shifted the release of Baldur's Gate 3 to the same launch window. Following that, Summerfall produced the narrative deckbuilder Malys to keep the team operational while prototyping their current project.
Should the heist RPG fail to secure funding, Gaider remains philosophical about the future of his studio. He expresses interest in working on existing properties, specifically pointing to Owlcat’s The Expanse game as an ideal project. Regarding the possibility of returning to Dragon Age, he admits, "If, out of some weird alignment of the stars, somebody handed the Dragon Age franchise back to me and said, 'Breathe the life back into this baby'? That'd be a tough one, but I think that'd be an interesting thing to do."