Over the last dozen years, the Warsaw‑based studio One More Level has steadily built a reputation for delivering AA games whose visual fidelity and production polish often rival those of full‑blown AAA blockbusters. The studio first burst onto the global stage with Ghostrunner, a cyber‑punk action platformer that arrived in 2020 to glowing reviews and strong sales. Industry tracker Video Game Insights estimates that the title moved roughly 5.6 million copies, a figure that was later bolstered by a sequel released in 2023. Despite those successes, the broader AA segment is currently under pressure.
In recent years, capital for mid‑range projects has thinned just as the market has become more crowded. Smaller publishers tend to gravitate toward low‑budget experiments—games that can be built for $1 million or less—while the heavyweight firms double down on established evergreen franchises. Even when a mid‑tier title like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 shatters sales expectations, securing the necessary funding remains a steep uphill battle. "Our triumph with Expedition 33 proved the AA model can work, yet many publishers still view the space as risky," explains Radek Ratusznik, game director at One More Level, in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom.
"One hit isn’t enough to change perception. We’ll probably need several Expedition‑type successes before the skeptics are convinced. There are plenty of studios capable of delivering high‑quality AA experiences without blowing hundreds of millions on development." Ratusznik adds that modern tools have accelerated the creation process, but they haven’t eliminated the need for time.
"Current technology lets us produce better‑looking games a bit faster and possibly at a lower cost, but you still can’t finish a solid title in a single year without compromising quality. Development cycles need proper testing and polishing, and I doubt publishers would be comfortable with a rushed, one‑year sprint." The studio’s newest project, Valor Mortis, has been a case study in the volatility of publishing deals. After Ghostrunner and its sequel were released under Italy’s 505 Games—a subsidiary of Digital Bros that announced a 30 % staff reduction in late 2023—One More Level initially partnered 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." The label’s catalogue was eventually sold, and the entity resurfaced in 2025 as Fictions, now known for titles such as Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation. When the Private Division agreement collapsed, One More Level briefly contemplated self‑publishing. "We realized that to achieve the level of quality we envision, we needed a partner with publishing muscle," Ratusznik says. The lifeline arrived from Lyrical Games, a publishing offshoot of the film company Lyrical Media—best known for producing 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 a rare oasis for mid‑tier projects. "The response has been overwhelming—developers are calling us an oasis in a desert of uncertainty," Rochkind told GamesIndustry.biz last year. He highlighted Clair Obscur as the archetype of the kind of experience Lyrical Games wants to champion.
"If we could support a title like that, it would be a dream come true." Timing proved fortuitous. "Blake and Roger remembered us and understood our vision," Ratusznik notes. At the time One More Level’s staff count hovered between 40 and 50 people. Even as funding grew uncertain, the studio resisted the temptation to downsize.
"We had some savings from earlier projects, which allowed us to ride out the lean period without laying off anyone. It was a leap of faith, but we believed in our team. Building a cohesive development crew is hard; tearing it apart is all too easy." As the October 13 launch approaches, the studio has expanded to over 70 employees, though not all are dedicated to Valor Mortis; a portion is already engaged on an undisclosed follow‑up title. Many AA developers supplement their core teams with external contractors—Sandfall Interactive, for instance, relied heavily on outside talent while creating Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
One More Level, however, prefers to keep production in‑house wherever possible. Lead designer Łukasz Wabik explains, "We outsource QA and a few marketing assets, but the majority of art, animation, and programming is done by our internal team." Looking ahead, the studio says a strong commercial performance for Valor Mortis would justify further hiring, yet they intend to grow organically rather than leap into AAA‑scale operations. "If the game succeeds, we’ll likely add more staff, but we don’t want to abandon our identity and become a massive AAA house overnight," Ratusznik says. "Maintaining control over our creative process is essential." Valor Mortis is a first‑person action RPG that blends influences from several celebrated franchises.
Its combat system evokes the methodical, punishing boss encounters of Dark Souls, while the plasmid‑style abilities recall the power‑up mechanics of BioShock. The game’s most distinctive feature, however, is its setting: the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. By anchoring the narrative in a historically rich period, the developers aim to differentiate their product in a market saturated with fantasy and sci‑fi backdrops.
Ratusznik explains the creative rationale: "We wanted a backdrop that hadn’t been overused. The 19th century offered a fresh canvas, but we initially toyed with a more fantastical, Bloodborne‑like vibe. Eventually we settled on the Napoleonic era because it felt both recognizable and underexplored." Early story pitches even imagined Napoleon himself possessed by a malevolent force, but the team pivoted toward a more grounded horror narrative. "We kept some fantasy elements—mutations, supernatural horror—but we stripped away the overt demon‑Napoleon premise.
The focus is now on the brutal reality of war and the psychological terror it engenders," Ratusznik clarifies. This shift from a high‑fantasy approach to a darker, historically anchored horror tone reflects the studio’s desire to offer players a novel experience that feels both familiar and unsettling. First‑person swordplay, another unique selling point, further sets Valor Mortis apart. "Our USP is the combination of a historically inspired setting, horror‑infused storytelling, and visceral melee combat," says Ratusznik.
"Players get to explore a recognizable period of history through a fresh lens—mutations, eerie atmospheres, and intense combat—all while feeling like they’re part of something both new and resonant." In summary, One More Level’s journey illustrates the precarious nature of AA development: high ambition, fluctuating publisher support, and the constant need to prove the commercial viability of mid‑tier games. With Valor Mortis, the studio hopes to demonstrate that compelling, high‑quality experiences can thrive outside the traditional AAA pipeline—provided publishers are willing to place their trust in the AA space.