Ascendant Studios
Ascendant Studios is an American video-game developer founded by veterans of the Dead Space and Call of Duty franchises.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Ascendant Studios is an American video-game development company established in 2018 by a group of developers with experience on the Dead Space and Call of Duty franchises. The studio positioned itself around the creation of original, high-production-value action games rather than licensed adaptations or established franchise sequels. Its first major release was Immortals of Aveum, a single-player first-person fantasy shooter published through Electronic Arts' EA Originals program. Immortals of Aveum distinguished itself from conventional military and science-fiction shooters by replacing firearms with a magic-based combat system. Players control Jak, a fighter capable of using three forms of magic, with offensive and defensive spells divided among red, blue, and green types. The game also combined first-person shooting conventions with a narrative fantasy setting, character progression, a talent-tree system, and a campaign built around the fictional world of Aveum and its ongoing Everwar. Ascendant Studios developed the game using Unreal Engine 5 and incorporated technologies including Nanite virtualized geometry, Lumen lighting, and virtual shadow maps. The project was directed by Bret Robbins, a former Dead Space creative director. Electronic Arts announced Immortals of Aveum at The Game Awards in 2022 as an EA Originals title. The game was initially scheduled for July 20, 2023, but its launch was delayed to August 22, 2023. It released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. The title was notable as an early major non-Epic release to make extensive use of Unreal Engine 5's newer graphical features, but its reception was mixed overall. Reviewers commonly recognized its visual ambition, magic-combat concept, and cinematic presentation while also noting technical problems and other shortcomings. Metacritic classified the PC and PlayStation 5 versions as receiving mixed or average reviews, while the Xbox Series X/S edition received generally favorable reviews. Commercial performance was weak. In September 2023, chief executive Bret Robbins announced that approximately 40 employees would be laid off, representing about 45 percent of the studio's staff at that time, and linked the reduction to the game's poor sales. The launch also faced strong competition from other large releases, including Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Starfield. In April 2024, reporting indicated that roughly 30 remaining employees had been placed on furlough. These reductions significantly changed the scale of the company after its debut project. Ascendant Studios' public identity is therefore closely tied to the ambitious but commercially underperforming launch of Immortals of Aveum. Publicly documented information about later projects, ownership, financing, headquarters, and the studio's continuing operating status is limited. Its principal known contribution to the games industry is the development of an original, single-player fantasy shooter that used contemporary Unreal Engine technology and sought to combine blockbuster presentation with a new magic-focused combat model.
History
Ascendant Studios was formed in 2018 by developers who had worked on the Dead Space and Call of Duty series. The studio began as an independent developer with an emphasis on creating a new intellectual property. Rather than building its identity around a pre-existing publisher-owned franchise, it developed Immortals of Aveum, an original fantasy action game centered on a world shaped by magical conflict. The studio's debut project was led by Bret Robbins, who served as chief executive and creative director and brought prior experience from the Dead Space series. Immortals of Aveum was conceived as a first-person shooter in which magic replaced conventional firearms. Its combat system was organized around three colors of magic, each with different functions and visual qualities, and the game added a talent tree with more than 80 nodes. The campaign combined arena-style combat, exploration, character progression, and a substantial narrative about the Everwar, the Wound, and the competing kingdoms of Aveum. Ascendant Studios developed the title with Unreal Engine 5. The project was an early showcase for several newer engine capabilities, including Nanite micro-geometry, Lumen ray-traced lighting, and virtual shadow maps. The studio's public development goals included balancing accessible action with challenge, building a strong story, and creating memorable characters. Electronic Arts selected the project for its EA Originals label, which supports games from independent and smaller external studios. The game was revealed at The Game Awards in 2022. The release plan changed during development. Immortals of Aveum was initially expected on July 20, 2023, but Ascendant Studios delayed it until August 22. It ultimately launched on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. The game received a mixed critical response. Critics and technical analyses recognized its visual ambition and unusual magic-based shooting mechanics, but reviews also identified technical issues and uneven aspects of the overall experience. Aggregated reception was mixed or average for the PC and PlayStation 5 versions, while the Xbox Series X/S version performed somewhat better in aggregate ratings. The commercial outcome placed severe pressure on the studio. In September 2023, Robbins announced that about 40 developers had been laid off, a reduction equal to roughly 45 percent of the workforce at that time. The explanation connected the cuts to the game's poor sales. The delayed launch also placed the title in a crowded release period alongside Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon and Starfield, both of which had stronger commercial momentum. In April 2024, reports stated that approximately 30 employees who remained at the company were placed on furlough. Immortals of Aveum was also nominated for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Real-Time Project at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards. Despite that recognition, publicly available information about a second game, a new publisher relationship, ownership, or a definitive closure is limited. Ascendant Studios' documented history is consequently dominated by its formation, the production and release of its debut title, and the substantial workforce contraction that followed its weak market performance.
- 2024
Further workforce contraction
[1]Around 30 remaining employees were reportedly placed on furlough.
- 2023
Debut game released
[1]Immortals of Aveum launched on August 22 for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
- 2023
Major workforce reduction
[1]Approximately 40 employees were laid off after the game's weak sales, representing about 45 percent of the staff.
- 2022
Immortals of Aveum revealed
[1]The studio announced its debut major game at The Game Awards as an EA Originals project.
- 2018
Studio founded
[1]Ascendant Studios was established by veterans of the Dead Space and Call of Duty development teams.
Products and positioning
An original-game developer focused on cinematic, high-production-value action experiences, with a particular emphasis on combining first-person gameplay, fantasy settings, and advanced real-time graphics technology.
First-person fantasy shooter · 2023
Immortals of Aveum
Immortals of Aveum is Ascendant Studios' debut major game and an original single-player first-person shooter published by Electronic Arts through EA Originals. It replaces guns with approximately 25 offensive and defensive spells divided into red, blue, and green magic. Players control Jak, a fighter able to wield all three colors, and progress through a fantasy campaign involving the kingdoms of Aveum, the Everwar, and the expanding Wound. The game includes an 80-plus-node talent tree and was built with Unreal Engine 5, using features such as Nanite geometry, Lumen lighting, and virtual shadow maps.
Brand decisions
2023
Delay of Immortals of AveumOtherBackground
The studio's debut game was originally scheduled for July 20, 2023, but its release plan changed during development.
Action taken
Ascendant Studios moved the launch to August 22, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
Aftermath
The game entered a crowded late-summer release window and later recorded weak commercial performance.
2023
Post-launch workforce reductionStrategyBackground
Immortals of Aveum sold poorly after release, creating financial and operational pressure on the studio.
Action taken
The company reduced its workforce by approximately 40 developers, or about 45 percent of staff at the time.
Aftermath
The layoffs substantially reduced the studio's operating capacity; further reports in 2024 described furloughs affecting most of the remaining staff.
Recent events
- 2024
Remaining Ascendant Studios employees reportedly placed on furlough[1]
Other
Around 30 employees were reportedly placed on furlough approximately six months after the initial layoffs.
- 2023
Immortals of Aveum release delayed to August 2023[1]
Other
The studio moved the game's launch from the initially planned July 20 date to August 22, 2023, when it released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.
- 2023
Ascendant Studios releases Immortals of Aveum[1]
Product launch
The studio's first major game launched as a magic-focused first-person shooter built with Unreal Engine 5.
- 2023
Ascendant Studios lays off approximately 40 employees[1]
Leadership change
Chief executive Bret Robbins announced a reduction of roughly 40 developers, or about 45 percent of the staff, following the poor sales performance of Immortals of Aveum.
- 2022
Ascendant Studios announces Immortals of Aveum through EA Originals[1]
Product launch
Ascendant Studios unveiled its debut major title, Immortals of Aveum, at The Game Awards as part of Electronic Arts' EA Originals publishing program.
Sources2 sources
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