Airship Syndicate
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Joe Madureira, Ryan Stefanelli |
| Headquarters | Austin , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Joe Madureira (CEO), Ryan Stefanelli (President) |
| Products | Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Darksiders Genesis, Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, Wayfinder |
Number of employees | 12 (laid off in 2024) |
Airship Syndicate Entertainment, Inc. is a video game development firm headquartered in Austin, Texas, United States. Established in 2014 by former Vigil Games employees, including Joe Madureira and Ryan Stefanelli, the studio is recognized for titles such as Battle Chasers: Nightwar (2017), Darksiders Genesis (2019), and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (2021).
History
After Vigil Games closed due to the bankruptcy of its publisher THQ, co-founders Joe Madureira and Ryan Stefanelli initially embarked on separate ventures before joining forces again with animator Steve Madureira to create an independent, smaller-scale studio. They selected the name "Airship Syndicate" to convey a sense of adventure and futuristic technology.
The studio's first project was a dungeon-crawler inspired by JRPGs, originally conceived as a new intellectual property but later integrated into Madureira's Battle Chasers comic universe. Although there were reservations about reviving an older comic series, their Kickstarter campaign exceeded expectations by raising over $850,000 against a $500,000 target. The expanded game launched in October 2017 under THQ Nordic's publishing, earning both critical acclaim and commercial success.
Subsequently, Airship Syndicate proposed a new installment for the Darksiders franchise to THQ Nordic. While Gunfire Games handled Darksiders III, Airship Syndicate developed a more modestly scoped title, Darksiders Genesis, adopting an isometric viewpoint and completing development within two years. Released in December 2019, it garnered generally favorable reviews.
At The Game Awards 2019, the company revealed Ruined King: A League of Legends Story, a single-player turn-based RPG set in the League of Legends universe and published by Riot Forge. The game debuted on November 16, 2021, and subsequently received complimentary upgrades for next-generation consoles.
In 2022, Airship Syndicate collaborated with Digital Extremes on the MMORPG Wayfinder, which was announced at The Game Awards 2022. However, in November 2023, Digital Extremes discontinued its publishing division, returning full ownership of the project to Airship Syndicate. On January 31, 2024, the company disclosed layoffs affecting 12 staff members; simultaneously, President Ryan Stefanelli and CEO Joe Madureira accepted salary reductions.
Games
| Year | Title | Publisher | Platform(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Battle Chasers: Nightwar | THQ Nordic | Windows, macOS, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android |
| 2019 | Darksiders Genesis | THQ Nordic | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia |
| 2021 | Ruined King: A League of Legends Story | Riot Forge | Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S |
| 2024[lower-alpha 1] | Wayfinder | Airship Syndicate[lower-alpha 2] | Windows, PlayStation 4,[lower-alpha 3] PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S |
External links
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