"We probably need several more Expedition 33s to prove the skeptics wrong" – the creator of Valor Mortis explains why publishers should trust AA titles

Over the last dozen years, the Warsaw‑based studio One More Level has steadily built a reputation for delivering AA‑level experiences that often rival the polish and scope of full‑blown AAA blockbusters. Their breakout hit, the 2020 cyber‑punk action platformer Ghostrunner, was praised by critics and sold roughly 5.6 million copies according to Video Game Insights, a figure that cemented the studio’s standing in the mid‑tier market.

The sequel, released in 2023, continued that momentum and demonstrated the team’s ability to iterate on a successful formula while still pushing technical boundaries. Despite these successes, the broader AA landscape is under pressure.

In recent years, venture capital and publisher investment have contracted just as the number of competing titles has exploded. Smaller publishers now tend to back projects with budgets under $1 million, viewing them as safer bets, while the industry giants double‑down on evergreen franchises that guarantee massive returns. Even high‑selling AA titles such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 struggle to secure the kind of financing that would make development less precarious.

"Our triumph with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was huge, yet many publishers still see the AA segment as a risky proposition," explains Radek Ratusznik, game director at One More Level, during an interview with GamesIndustry.biz at Gamescom. "We probably need a few more Expedition 33s to convince them otherwise.

One hit isn’t enough; we need a track record of several mid‑tier successes to shift perception. There are plenty of studios capable of delivering quality AA games without blowing up budgets into the hundreds of millions." Ratusznik also highlighted the practical limits of modern development pipelines. "With today’s tools we can create high‑quality experiences a bit faster and perhaps a little cheaper, but you can’t magically finish a polished game in a single year without compromising.

Proper development time, thorough testing, and a realistic schedule are still essential. I doubt publishers would let us compress that timeline without sacrificing quality." One More Level’s latest project, Valor Mortis, has been a roller‑coaster in terms of publishing support. Originally, the studio’s previous titles were released through Italy’s 505 Games, a subsidiary of Digital Bros.

However, Digital Bros announced a 30 % workforce reduction in late 2023 as part of a broader restructuring, casting uncertainty over future collaborations. When One More Level turned to the indie‑focused label Private Division for Valor Mortis, the partnership fell apart after Take‑Two’s 2024 strategic shift toward AAA‑only titles.

Take‑Two’s CEO, Strauss Zelnick, summed up the change: "We’re in the business of making great big hits." Private Division’s assets were later sold and the label re‑emerged as Fictions in 2025, now best known for publishing Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation. With the Private Division deal off the table, One More Level briefly considered self‑publishing. "We realized that if we wanted to maintain the quality we envision for Valor Mortis, we needed a publishing partner with the resources to support us," Ratusznik said. 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.

Founded in 2025 by former Private Division executives Blake Rochkind and Roger Kurtz, Lyrical Games positions itself as an oasis for mid‑tier developers in an industry that often feels like a desert of AAA‑only funding. "The reaction we get—people saying we’re an oasis—is both flattering and intimidating," Rochkind told GamesIndustry.biz last year. "If we can champion a title like Clair Obscur, that would be a dream for our label." For One More Level, the timing was serendipitous. "Blake and Roger remembered us and understood the project from the start," Ratusznik recalled.

At the time the studio was operating with a core team of 40‑50 employees. When funding dried up, the team resisted the instinct to downsize. "We had some savings from earlier successes, which allowed us to weather the storm without laying off staff. It was a leap of faith, but we believed in our people and our vision.

Building a cohesive team is hard; destroying it is far easier." As the October 13 launch approaches, the studio has expanded to over 70 staff, though not all are dedicated to Valor Mortis; some are already working on a confidential follow‑up title. This growth reflects a broader industry trend where mid‑tier studios often rely heavily on external contractors for large‑scale work.

For instance, Sandfall Interactive’s core team on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 numbered around 30, but the project leaned on a sizable network of outsourced talent. One More Level, however, aims to keep the majority of production in‑house. Lead designer Łukasz Wabik notes, "We outsource QA and a few marketing assets, but most art, programming, and design are done by our internal team." Looking ahead, Ratusznik says the studio’s future will hinge on Valor Mortis’ performance.

"If the game succeeds, we’ll likely scale up, but we don’t want to jump straight into AAA territory. We prefer controlled, sustainable growth that lets us retain creative autonomy." Valor Mortis itself is a first‑person action RPG that blends familiar mechanics with a fresh historical backdrop. Its combat draws inspiration from the unforgiving boss encounters of Dark Souls, while its plasmid‑style abilities echo the power‑modulation system of BioShock.

What truly sets the game apart is its setting: the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. By anchoring the narrative in a period rarely explored in video games, the developers hope to stand out in a crowded market. Ratusznik explains the creative process behind the setting choice.

"We wanted a time frame that hadn’t been overused. Initially we toyed with a Bloodborne‑like gothic fantasy, but eventually settled on the Napoleonic era because it offered a rich, recognizable historical canvas while still leaving room for speculative elements." Early pitches even imagined a supernatural twist where Napoleon himself was possessed by an evil force.

Over time, the narrative shifted toward a more grounded, horror‑infused portrayal of war. "We kept some fantastical touches—mutations, eerie atmospheres—but we moved away from a literal demon‑Napoleon scenario. The focus is now on the brutal realities of conflict, with horror elements that amplify the dread without overwhelming the historical core," Ratusznik elaborated. First‑person swordplay, another unique selling point, further differentiates Valor Mortis.

"Our USPs are the setting, the combat style, and the blend of horror with historical authenticity. Players get a familiar yet fresh experience—a recognizable period with a twist of mutation and dread.

It feels like a sweet spot where the familiar meets the novel," he concluded. In summary, One More Level’s journey from Ghostrunner’s cyber‑punk rooftops to the fog‑laden battlefields of Napoleonic Europe illustrates both the challenges and opportunities facing AA developers today. With the backing of a film‑industry‑derived publisher, a resilient internal team, and a bold creative vision, the studio hopes Valor Mortis will prove that mid‑tier games can still capture both critical acclaim and commercial viability.