Harry Krueger, director of titles such as Returnal and Nex Machina, has ended his 14-year tenure at Housemarque to found Cosmic Division, a new studio in Helsinki, Finland. Krueger thanked his former team for laying the foundation for his new company, noting that they seek to innovate with fresh ideas and new talent.
Cosmic Division bets on engines and rapid prototypes 🚀
The studio plans to use modern engines like Unreal Engine 5 to facilitate agile prototypes and technical experimentation. Krueger seeks a small team to maintain creative control, prioritizing dynamic game systems over photorealistic graphics. The philosophy recalls the director's previous titles, where gameplay fluidity was central, though now with greater freedom to explore unconventional genres.
From shooting aliens to starting a startup ☕
Krueger spent 14 years at Housemarque killing space bugs and now launches into killing... Finnish bureaucracy. Founding a studio in Helsinki is almost as tough as a Returnal bullet hell, but with fewer resurrections. That said, at least now he can choose which coffee to drink without asking anyone's permission.