Moon Studios represents a distinctive approach to independent game development, having established itself as a fully distributed organization where geographical boundaries don't constrain creative ambition. Founded in 2010 in Vienna, Austria by Thomas Mahler—a former cinematic artist at Blizzard Entertainment—and Gennadiy Korol, a graphics engineer from Animation Lab, the studio pioneered a remote-first operational model inspired by John F. Kennedy's moonshot vision, assembling talent from over forty countries across four continents without maintaining a traditional central office. This unconventional structure emerged from Mahler's observation of indie successes during his Blizzard tenure and his desire to create emotionally resonant experiences outside corporate constraints, combining his fine arts education in traditional sculpture with Korol's technical expertise in computer graphics to establish a development philosophy centered on meticulous iterative polish and hand-crafted artistry. The studio's partnership with Microsoft beginning in 2011 provided publishing support and intellectual property backing for its debut metroidvania-style platformer, which achieved both critical acclaim and commercial viability within weeks of launch, validating the distributed development model while establishing the studio's reputation for blending challenging gameplay with painterly visual aesthetics and emotionally affecting narratives.
Moon Studios' creative methodology emphasizes organic, hand-painted art direction over procedural generation, paired with precision-focused platforming mechanics that reward player skill and exploration across interconnected world designs. Following the success and recognition of its debut work and 2020 sequel—which together earned numerous industry accolades including BAFTA recognition for artistic achievement and sold approximately ten million copies—the studio pivoted toward darker thematic territory with its action role-playing project that entered early access in April 2024. In March 2025, Moon Studios acquired full publishing rights to this title from Take-Two Interactive, marking a significant transition to complete independence after years of external publishing partnerships. Now operating as a fully self-publishing entity, the studio continues developing from its distributed global structure while facing the heightened challenges and opportunities that accompany creative and financial autonomy in the competitive independent development space, carrying forward its commitment to artistic ambition and gameplay refinement that defined its earlier successes.
