The United States-based Ruckus Games announced that it has raised $5.5 million in seed funding to create a brand new cross-platform co-op game. The video game studio was launched back in August 2021 by ex-Gearbox and Riot developers.
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The funding round was led by Transcend; BITKRAFT Ventures and 1Up Ventures also participated in the funding round.
The 7-person co-founding team of Ruckus Games has played key roles in the creation of several successful AAA games, including Borderlands IP, Elder Scrolls Online, and a few others. The team collectively has made over 25 games across multiple platforms and they have experts in design, art, and technology. The company says its motto is “The player is our hero” and they will create a new and adds that it’s a “developer-first” studio.
Paul Sage, CEO of Ruckus Games shared the message below after the company secured the investment:
“When we were looking at making a studio and Ruckus’ first game we wanted to bring the creative risk-taking we see in independent studios into the gaming mainstream, giving our developers a much-needed voice in the industry they’ve helped to build. That benefits players when we do it right – they get to play something unique, filled with passion, and chock-full of stupid amounts of fun. What could be better?”
Jesse McIntyre, CTO of Ruckus Games also commented and praised his teammates. The CTO said:
“The truth is, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of developers to join me in founding a modern game studio. Each of them is an expert in their craft with a proven track record of creating top-quality player experiences. They also understand intimately the value of a developer-first studio culture.
“To us, this means a lot of things. The opportunity for all of Ruckus to contribute creatively to our games. Policies and practices that encourage putting family first. An environment that makes everyone comfortable being their genuine selves. We strive every day to create the studio we’ve always wanted to be a part of. We hope others will see that and want to be a part of it as well.”
Scott Kester, Ruckus’ Art Director shared this message:
“I’m incredibly stoked to be creating a fresh brand-new IP from the ground up with a small, focused team doing what we do best: making games! The raw energy that comes from defining new looks, gameplay, and player experiences while building something we want to play with an independent punk mindset is key to Ruckus.”
Andrew Sheppard of the Transcend Fund also commented:
“Ruckus Games is redefining emergent multiplayer gameplay without pulling any punches on their creative and technical excellence. We are excited to partner with CEO Paul Sage, a proven studio leader and creative, and his talented team to bring their multi-game production vision to life.”
The seven co-founders of the Ruckus Games are:
- Paul Sage, CEO (EA, Zenimax, Gearbox)
- Jesse McIntyre, CTO (Riot, Zenimax Online, and EA Mythic)
- Scott Kester, Art Director (Gearbox)
- Carl Shedd, World Director and Lead Lighting Artist (id, Gearbox)
- Keith Schuler, Master Designer (3d Realms, Gearbox)
- Chris Strasz, Gameplay and UX Director (NCSoft, EA, Zenimax Online, Gearbox)
- Kevin Penrod, Character Art Director (Gearbox).
Ruckus Games will use the newly raised fund to hire new talents to develop their very first game.
