From the Ashes of Dead Cells to Reimagining Retro Classics: The Untold Story of Evil Empire

The indie hit Dead Cells has surpassed ten million copies sold, marking six years of continuous support since its initial Early Access release in 2017. Following a string of successful DLCs, including the latest Return to Castlevania in partnership with Konami, the game's success has been well-documented. However, less prominent is the fact that Motion Twin handed over the reins to another developer after the first DLC in 2019. This studio, run as a cooperative, sought to remain small after Dead Cells' success, prompting the creation of Evil Empire. Co-founded by CEO Steve Filby, COO Benjamin Laulan, creative director Joan Blachere, and CTO Thomas Pfeiffer, all former Motion Twin members, Evil Empire took on the tasks the Dead Cells developers didn't want to handle. Filby notes that this role reversal is reminiscent of his early days at Motion Twin, where he joined as the marketing and 'do everything that devs don't want to do' person. As Dead Cells' development cycle concluded in 2016, Filby created his own games marketing consultancy, Indie Catapult, which Blachere and Laulan later joined. They worked almost exclusively as contractors on Dead Cells and other games like Northgard from Shiro Games, acting as a 'ninja publisher' for Dead Cells. When Motion Twin decided to move on from Dead Cells, Filby and his team saw an opportunity to continue working on the game and formed Evil Empire, taking over the development of all DLCs after 2019's Rise of the Giant. The studio has been quietly handling the game's development, with Motion Twin focusing on new projects. Evil Empire's contract with Motion Twin allows them to continue creating Dead Cells content while giving Motion Twin the freedom to pursue other endeavors. However, Evil Empire aims to establish itself as more than just a work-for-hire studio, with a unique position in the industry as the developer behind one of the most successful indie games of the past decade. The studio is now set to make a name for itself with its own projects, including two deals to revive retro IPs that Filby describes as 'really big historic parts of the video game world.' These titles will be reimagined for modern audiences, rather than simply remastered. Evil Empire is committed to co-creation, with the IP holders providing creative freedom and funding for the projects. The first title is expected to release in Early Access next year, with the second planned for 2025. The studio's growth, from four employees in 2019 to 65, with plans to reach 70 by the end of the year, is a significant change from Motion Twin's co-op setup. Filby explains that the decision to establish a more traditional company structure was driven by the need for stability and scalability. He aims to create a 'professional development studio' where employees can build a career and have the stability to support themselves. Evil Empire's financial stability, thanks to the deal with Motion Twin, has enabled the studio to invest in an R&D team, nicknamed 'Skunk Works,' which is working on new ideas for when the Dead Cells team eventually runs out of content. As the studio looks to the future, Filby envisions a 'perpetual game-making machine' that will provide financial stability and maturity, allowing developers to focus on creating games without the pressures of pre-production.