“Ori Was Our Mario, Our Next Project is Our Zelda” – Moon Studios Director

Moon Studios enjoyed widespread plaudits and success with both Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and having delivered two excellent Metroidvania games, the developer is ready to move on to something new. It confirmed in late 2019 that its next game would be a new IP and an action RPG, and though we don’t yet have any firm details on it, Moon Studios creative director Thomas Mahler has been speaking about the project on Twitter, saying that he envisioned the game as the developer’s take on Zelda back when he first started prototyping it.

“Ori was our Mario, this is our Zelda,” he wrote. “That was my thought when I first started prototyping our new project back in 20195. We then committed to Wisps, which allowed us to give this project more time in the oven so that we’d then be able to turn it into a full-blown ARPG.”

Mahler then went on to confirm that the game will feature a similar art style to the Ori games, adding, “It’s important that our games have a unique artstyle where you know that this is a Moon Studios game even if you just see a thumbnail. There are too many games out there that look the same. Art Direction matters. A lot.”

Meanwhile, he also reiterated that the game will be a multiplatform release rather than launching as an Xbox exclusive, as both Ori games did.

In 2020, it was announced that Moon Studios had entered into a publishing agreement with Private Division for its next title, though if reports are to be believed, the developer has faced several behind-the-scenes issues during the course of development. Several former Moon Studios employees reportedly criticized the developer for its “toxic” and “oppressive” work culture, while reports have claimed that Microsoft was aware of the studio’s issues and, consequently, chose not to publish its next game.

Ori was our 'Mario', this is our 'Zelda'.

That was my thought when I first started prototyping our new project back in 2015.

We then committed to Wisps, which allowed us to give this project more time in the oven so that we'd then be able to turn it into a full-blown ARPG.

— thomasmahler (@thomasmahler) February 4, 2023

Yes. It's important that our games have a unique artstyle where you know that this is a Moon Studios game even if you just see a thumbnail.

There are too many games out there that look the same.

Art Direction matters. A lot.

— thomasmahler (@thomasmahler) February 4, 2023

That was the main reasons we signed this title with @PrivateDivision!

Despite your name, I'm not into 'exclusives', at least for our studio. I want everyone to be able to play our games!

— thomasmahler (@thomasmahler) February 4, 2023