"We’ll need several more Expedition 33s to convince skeptics" – One More Level’s Valor Mortis creator urges publishers to trust AA titles

Over the last dozen years, the Warsaw‑based studio One More Level has quietly built a reputation for delivering AA‑level experiences that often rival AAA productions in polish and ambition. The studio first burst onto the scene with Ghostrunner, a cyber‑punk platformer released in 2020 that earned glowing reviews and sold an estimated 5.6 million copies, according to Video Game Insights.

Its sequel followed in 2023, confirming that the team could sustain a high‑quality franchise. Despite those successes, the broader AA market is currently under pressure.

Investment has thinned just as competition has intensified, prompting many smaller publishers to gravitate toward low‑budget projects under $1 million, while the biggest publishers double‑down on proven evergreen franchises. Even blockbuster AA titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have struggled to secure financing, illustrating how difficult it is for mid‑tier games to attract the needed capital. "We achieved massive success with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, yet publishers still view the AA segment as risky," explains Radek Ratusznik, game director at One More Level, speaking to GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom.

"One hit isn’t enough to change perception. We’ll probably need several more Expedition‑type successes before the industry fully trusts us. There are plenty of studios capable of delivering high‑quality AA games without blowing hundreds of millions of dollars." Ratusznik adds that modern development tools allow studios to produce better games more quickly and at lower cost, but they cannot eliminate the need for a realistic production schedule.

"We can accelerate certain pipelines, but you can’t finish a polished game in a single year without compromising quality. Publishers who demand that level of speed are asking for trouble," he cautions. The journey to bring One More Level’s newest title, Valor Mortis, to market has been anything but smooth.

After Ghostrunner’s partnership with Italian publisher 505 Games (a Digital Bros subsidiary that announced a 30 % staff cut in late 2023), the studio initially inked a deal with Take‑Two’s indie label Private Division for Valor Mortis. However, in 2024 Take‑Two began scaling back Private Division to focus on AAA blockbusters, with CEO Strauss Zelnick stating, "We’re in the business of making great big hits." When Private Division’s catalogue was sold and the label re‑emerged as Fictions in 2025, One More Level faced a stark choice: self‑publish or find a new partner. "We considered self‑publishing, but to achieve the quality we envision we needed a publisher’s support," says Ratusznik. Enter Lyrical Games, a publishing venture spun out of the film company Lyrical Media—the same outfit behind the Hugh Jackman film The Death of Robin Hood.

Formed in 2025 by former Private Division executives Blake Rochkind and Roger Kurtz, Lyrical Games positions itself as an oasis for mid‑tier projects. "When people tell us we’re an oasis in the desert, it’s both flattering and intimidating," Rochkind told GamesIndustry.biz last year. "If we could add a title like Clair Obscur to our roster, it would be a dream." Ratusznik credits the timing of Lyrical Games’ arrival as serendipitous. "Blake and Roger remembered us and understood the project inside out," he notes.

At the time of the funding search, the studio employed roughly 40‑50 staff members. Rather than resort to layoffs during the uncertain period, the team leaned on reserves saved from earlier successes. "We took a leap of faith, trusting that funding would eventually materialise.

Keeping the core team intact was crucial—building a cohesive development team is hard; destroying it is far easier," Ratusznik reflects. By the time Valor Mortis approaches its October 13 launch, the studio has grown to over 70 employees, though not all are dedicated to the upcoming title; some are already working on an undisclosed follow‑up. Many AA studios supplement internal talent with external contractors; for instance, Sandfall Interactive relied heavily on outside help while developing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

One More Level, however, strives to keep the majority of work in‑house. Lead designer Łukasz Wabik explains, "We outsource QA and a few marketing assets, but most art, design, and programming are done by our own team." Looking ahead, Ratusznik says the studio will consider expanding further if Valor Mortis performs well, but they are wary of growing too quickly into a full‑scale AAA operation. "If the game succeeds, we’ll scale responsibly, preserving the culture and control we’ve built," he says. Valor Mortis itself is a first‑person action RPG that blends influences from several celebrated franchises.

Its combat and unforgiving boss encounters echo the challenging design of Dark Souls, while its plasmid‑style abilities recall the power‑ups of BioShock. The game distinguishes itself with a unique historical backdrop: the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. Ratusznik explains that the team deliberately avoided overused fantasy settings, seeking a period that felt fresh yet recognizable.

"We initially toyed with a more fantastical, Bloodborne‑style aesthetic, but the Napoleonic era offered a concrete, compelling canvas." Early narrative concepts even imagined Napoleon himself possessed by a malevolent force. Over time, the story shifted toward a grounded, horror‑infused portrayal of the era’s brutal conflict, retaining subtle fantasy elements without descending into outright dark fantasy.

"We moved from a demon‑Napoleon premise to a horror‑laden, historically anchored tale," Ratusznik clarifies. The studio also highlights its first‑person swordplay as a core differentiator. "Our unique selling points are the setting, the combat feel, and the atmospheric horror vibe. Players get to experience a familiar historical period with a twist—mutations, eerie visuals, and a fresh narrative angle," he adds.

In sum, One More Level’s journey illustrates both the challenges and opportunities facing AA developers today. By securing a publisher that values mid‑tier ambition, preserving its internal talent, and delivering a distinctive product like Valor Mortis, the studio hopes to prove that AA titles can thrive without the massive budgets of AAA blockbusters. If Valor Mortis resonates with players, it could serve as the next proof point that convinces wary publishers to place their confidence—and capital—back into the vibrant middle ground of the gaming industry.