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Iron Galaxy Studios, LLC is an American video game developer studio founded on August 14, 2008, and based in Chicago, Illinois, with a second studio in Orlando, Florida that was opened in 2012, a third studio in Nashville, Tennessee in 2022, and a fourth in Austin, Texas. Iron Galaxy often collaborates with publishers and developers to provide ...
- August 14, 2008; 15 years ago
- 250 (2022)
- Dave Lang
- "I think we're just enjoying being the prettiest person at the ball right now."
- Activision Blizzard Deal Compared to Other Major Acquisitions
- Biggest Games of 2022
By Kat Bailey
Updated: Mar 10, 2022 2:31 am
Posted: Mar 10, 2022 12:06 am
When Xbox purchased Activision Blizzard and Sony acquired Bungie to kick off 2022, it kicked off a frenzy of speculation among industry observers. Suddenly, it seemed as if no acquisition was off the table.
In such an environment, Iron Galaxy would seem to be an ideal target for a major platform holder. Aside from being a noted work-for-hire studio, Iron Galaxy has worked on popular franchises such as Uncharted and Killer Instinct, and CEO Adam Boyes has a direct connection to PlayStation.
For now, though, Iron Galaxy seems happy to be independent.
Boyes, an energetic game developer who earned notice as Sony Interactive Entertainment's Vice President of Publisher and Developer Relations, likens the current acquisition craze to his childhood in British Columbia, where his father was a lumberjack. In effect, he says, platform holders like Microsoft and Sony are clear-cutting the competition, in the process creating the underbrush that can attract new studios.
Iron Galaxy, he says, is in a good position. "Before we were like, we have to take this or we have to take that," Boyes says. "We have some freedom to work on new stuff. So that part of it's cool."
Originally founded back in 2008, Iron Galaxy found early success sporting games like Bionic Commando and Bioshock 2 before releasing Divekick in 2013. Iron Galaxy expanded to Orlando in 2012, and is set to open its third studio in Nashville in an effort to "fish in other ponds" and attract fresh talent. Iron Galaxy co-founder Dave Lang says the studio was "mousey" in its early days, to which Chelsea Blasko, the third member of Iron Galaxy's executive triumvirate, jokingly takes offense.
Blasko, Lang, and Boyes form a kind of comedy trio, riffing on one another's remarks and speaking in a rapid patter on a variety of topics. Boyes jokes that he's the optimist, Blasko's the realist, and Lang's the pessimist. Boyes joined the group after departing SIE in 2016, in part because he wanted to get back into active development.
While Iron Galaxy has grown considerably in the past decade, its three executives still feel far from corporate. Lang wears his familiar baseball cap and hoodie, and Boyes sports a chin curtain beard. They're relaxed as they discuss Iron Galaxy's recent growth, as well as originaly projects like Rumbleverse, which Boyes says was delayed in part to give it "more content, more modes, more everything...make sure everything is super polished and amazing."
Iron Galaxy has managed to keep busy throughout the pandemic, its next release being Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection, set to come to PC later this year. Asked what it was like to work with Naughty Dog, the group talks about how Iron Galaxy's programmers were "envious of how beautiful Naughty Dog's code was."
"I think people think about the acquisitions one way and it's actually very much a two-way street. Every time someone gets bought, well Microsoft still needs game pass games. Capcom needs to publish games. Everyone needs games, and now there's fewer and fewer people that can make them, it's actually super valuable to stay independent in a strange way that isn't really... It's counterintuitive, right?" Lang says.
"And so I think we're just enjoying being the prettiest person at the ball right now. We're really beautiful, we're doing what we do, and we're not really feeling any pressure to do anything. It's pretty cool."
Editor's Note: We made a small correction to this article to clarify Iron Galaxy's upcoming work is on Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection on PC.
Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN
- Kat Bailey
We support the most beloved worlds in video games. We help the best studios in this industry prepare for launch. Our developers enjoy a constant variety of challenges that span every genre and every platform. We invite you to become one of them. We're hiring in Chicago, Orlando, Nashville, and Austin.
The strength and health of our development teams are the foundation of our success. BELONGING : Every individual matters to us. We want people to be themselves at work and receive the dignity, safety, and respect we all deserve. PASSION : We strive to be one of the best studios in the industry. Our team's commitment to excellence is how we do that.
Our Work. The contribution we make to different games takes on many different forms. Iron Galaxy is both a creator of new experiences and a steady collaborator for other studios. Looking back across the 80+ titles we have worked on, here are some examples of the impact we've had on the industry. Click on any of these games to learn more about ...
Battle for control of the galaxies in this frantic multiplayer action game straight out of a 1980s space anime! Blast shots, dodge energy beams, and deflect projectiles as you race your tram into the opposing team's base! Grab the capsule to capture the galaxy before your enemy captures theirs! $4.99.
We partner with the best studios in this industry to help create amazing experiences that players love. We build new worlds born of our own ideas. Since 2008, we have worked on dozens of games on ...
