Former Riot Developers Introduce Open-Source Tool to Revolutionize Game Development

The Believer Company has announced the release of its internal development tool, Friendshipper, as an open-source project, aiming to transform the game development process. Founded by veterans from Riot Games, the studio is currently working on a next-generation open-world multiplayer game, utilizing Friendshipper to streamline development and expedite bug fixes during playtesting. According to CTO Landon McDowell, the goal of Friendshipper is to enable rapid code changes, swift builds, and seamless deployment of updates to both the development team and testers. McDowell attributes the decision to share this technology to a fundamental belief that there is a better way to develop video games, driven by the team's less-than-ideal experiences throughout their careers. The Believer Company seeks to play test more frequently, avoid crunch, and mitigate problematic aspects of game development, with the game development process itself being a key area for improvement. Since its inception last year, the company has grown to 65 people, with a small team dedicated to Friendshipper's development. McDowell emphasizes that Friendshipper is just one potential solution to the challenges faced by game developers, and the company is eager to share its ideas, learn from others, and build a community around these tools and concepts. The ultimate goal is to make game development a more enjoyable and efficient process, as the company believes that players benefit from developers having a positive experience. The Believer Company is committed to sharing its tools and practices, with the expectation that the industry as a whole will benefit from adopting improved development methodologies and practices.