A new video game codenamed Project Astrid will feature input from a pair of top Twitch streamers. Sacriel and Shroud, whose respective real names are Chris Ball and Mike Grzesiek, have teamed up with developer Splash Damage to design the upcoming game.
Project Astrid will be an open-world survival game featuring AAA production values. It is the first original IP developed by Splash Damage, which has previously created games based on existing franchises like Transformers and Wolfenstein.
Loaded, the talent management firm that represents both Ball and Grzesiek, facilitated the partnership between the streamers and Splash Damage. Ball and Grzesiek often play survival games like DayZ on their broadcasts, and they are known for providing detailed analysis of game mechanics. Ball, who has been streaming under the Sacriel name since 2012, identifies himself as an expert in combat strategy.
Ball and Grzesiek’s insights about game design will inform the development process for Project Astrid. The game’s Creative Director, Lance Winter, said that the streamers are “core members of our
development team” who can represent the desires of fans and creators. A video shared on the studio’s YouTube page provided an inside look at the conversations that are shaping Project Astrid.“This project means everything to me,” Grzesiek added in a statement. “Chris and I have refined a vision for what’s next in the survival genre and with Splash Damage we’re setting out to build it. We want to build the best survival game ever, and with Sacriel’s brain and Splash Damage’s team, I know we can do it.”
Grzesiek, who used to stream on the defunct Microsoft-owned platform Mixer, now reaches more than 10 million followers on Twitch. He signed with Loaded before returning to the Amazon-owned gaming hub. Ball joined the talent firm’s roster in 2020.
Project Astrid does not yet have a clear release timeline — or an official name. To keep tabs on Splash Damage’s activity, you can subscribe to the studio’s official newsletter.
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