Over the last dozen years, Poland’s One More Level has carved a respectable niche within the AA segment, delivering titles whose production values often rival those of full‑blown AAA games. The studio first burst onto the scene with the 2020 cyber‑punk action platformer Ghostrunner, a game that earned glowing reviews and sold an estimated 5.6 million copies, according to Video Game Insights. Its sequel arrived in 2023, reinforcing the studio’s reputation for high‑octane, technically polished experiences.
Despite these successes, the AA market as a whole is under pressure. In recent years, investment streams have thinned just as competition has intensified. Smaller publishers are increasingly inclined to back projects with budgets under $1 million, while the industry giants pour resources into evergreen, blockbuster‑type titles. Even standout AA hits such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have struggled to secure the kind of financing that mid‑tier games need to thrive.
"We achieved massive success with Expedition 33, yet publishers still view the AA space as risky," explains Radek Ratusznik, game director at One More Level, in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom. "We’ll probably need several more Expedition‑type titles to change that perception. One hit isn’t enough. There are plenty of studios capable of delivering quality AA games without blowing hundreds of millions of dollars." Ratusznik adds that modern development tools allow teams to produce higher‑quality experiences more efficiently, but they don’t eliminate the need for realistic timelines.
"We can build better games faster and perhaps cheaper, but you can’t finish a polished title in a single year without compromising. Proper testing and a reasonable development window are essential, and I doubt publishers will let us cut corners that far," he says.
One More Level’s journey to secure a publisher for its upcoming title, Valor Mortis, has been anything but smooth. Ghostrunner and its sequel were released under Italy’s 505 Games, a Digital Bros subsidiary that announced a 30 % staff reduction in late 2023 as part of a restructuring effort.
For Valor Mortis, the studio initially partnered with indie‑focused Private Division, but Take‑Two’s 2024 strategic shift back toward AAA titles caused the partnership to collapse. Take‑Two’s CEO Strauss Zelnick summed up the decision: "We’re in the business of making great big hits." Private Division’s assets were later sold, and the label re‑emerged in 2025 as Fictions, now best known for publishing Game Freak’s recent Beast of Reincarnation. After the Private Division deal fell through, One More Level briefly entertained self‑publishing, but Ratusznik quickly realized that achieving the desired quality level required external financial support. Enter Lyrical Games, a publishing venture spun out of the film company Lyrical Media—the studio behind Hugh Jackman’s 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. "People tell us we’re an oasis in a desert, which is both flattering and a bit 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 and the personal relationships that saved the project: "We were lucky that Blake and Roger remembered us and knew the game inside out. Their belief gave us a lifeline." When the studio began seeking funds for Valor Mortis, it 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 had enough savings to ride out the storm without cutting jobs, which was a huge relief," Ratusznik explains.
"It was a leap of faith, trusting that funding would eventually arrive. Maintaining a cohesive team is far harder than rebuilding one later." As the October 13 launch approaches, the studio has grown to over 70 employees, though not all are dedicated to Valor Mortis—some are already working on an undisclosed follow‑up project. Many AA developers supplement their core teams with external contractors; for instance, Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 relied heavily on outsourced talent. One More Level, however, strives to keep production in‑house wherever possible.
Lead designer Łukasz Wabik notes, "We outsource QA and a few marketing assets, but the bulk of art, animation, and programming stays within the studio." Looking ahead, the studio is prepared to expand further if Valor Mortis performs well. "Success would allow us to grow organically, but we don’t want to leap straight into AAA territory. We prefer to scale at a pace we can control," Ratusznik says. Valor Mortis itself is a first‑person action RPG that blends influences from several celebrated franchises.
Its challenging boss encounters and the mechanic of leaving items behind upon death echo the Dark Souls formula, while its plasmid‑style abilities recall BioShock’s power‑up system. The game distinguishes itself through its setting: the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. Ratusznik explains that the team deliberately avoided overused fantasy tropes in favor of a historical backdrop that still offers room for creative twists. "We initially toyed with a concept where Napoleon was possessed by an evil force, but we pivoted to a more grounded narrative.
The horror elements remain, but the story now focuses on the brutal reality of war, with subtle fantasy flourishes." The first‑person swordplay, combined with the period‑specific aesthetic, forms the core of the title’s unique selling points. "Our USPs are the setting, the combat feel, and the atmospheric horror vibe," Ratusznik emphasizes. "Players will recognize the Napoleonic era, yet experience it through a fresh, mutated lens that feels both familiar and new." In summary, One More Level’s saga illustrates the precarious nature of AA development in a market that often favors either low‑budget indie experiments or high‑budget AAA spectacles.
By securing a partnership with a niche publisher, preserving its internal talent, and delivering a game that fuses historical intrigue with modern gameplay mechanics, the studio hopes to prove that mid‑tier projects can still capture both critical acclaim and commercial viability.