adminStudio Ricochet is a new Canadian game developer founded by former leaders of Gearbox Studio Québec and other experienced AAA developers. The team plans to make original premium games independently, beginning with a cooperative action-adventure title intended for players around the world. Its stated approach puts creative control and a focused team ahead of rapid expansion.
Image credit: Studio Ricochet
Studio Ricochet’s founders and creative direction
The studio was established by Sébastien Caisse and Pierre-André Déry, who previously launched and led Gearbox Studio Québec. They left Gearbox in 2024. The founding group also includes Maxime Babin, formerly a creative director on the Borderlands series, and Yanick Piché, a former director of creative development at Gearbox.
Ricochet says its leadership includes full-time veteran developers who have worked on Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, and other major franchises. The studio is developing original intellectual property for PC and consoles, with an emphasis on distinctive worlds and a clear creative vision. For players, this means the announced project is an original game rather than a continuation of an established series.
What to expect from the first Studio Ricochet game
The team’s debut project is described as a co-op action-adventure designed for a global audience. It is planned as a premium, buy-to-play release—not a live-service game or a game-as-a-service (GaaS) title. The founders have compared its broad positioning to games such as Returnal, Uncharted, and It Takes Two, rather than ongoing online games such as Destiny or Warframe.
Babin says the goal is to combine an enjoyable shared experience with a story and world that have something meaningful to offer. The studio sees room for a premium cooperative adventure with strong world-building and a distinct artistic identity. No release date or additional game details were included in the announcement, so players should treat the format and business model as the main confirmed points for now.
A deliberately small, self-funded start
Studio Ricochet is currently self-funded. Déry says this gives the team room to shape the game and studio without a publisher’s requirements, investor deadlines, or outside pressure during the earliest creative work. The studio is also in active discussions about its medium-term plans and says it has enough funding to reach its initial milestones.
Rather than build a large team before proving the concept, Ricochet plans to keep its initial group small, experienced, and focused. Its leaders point to large operating costs and compressed creative schedules as risks for young studios. Their stated plan is to validate the game’s direction first and expand only when needed. This approach may help preserve flexibility, although the studio acknowledges that it does not guarantee success.
Influences behind the studio
Déry describes Ricochet’s inspiration as independent teams that deliver ambitious games while maintaining a recognizable identity. He has cited Arrowhead, Remedy, and Sabotage, alongside influences from Studio Ghibli, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, and FromSoftware. These references indicate a range of creative interests, but the studio has not yet shared specific details about how they will shape its first game.
For now, the clearest picture of Studio Ricochet is a veteran-led team pursuing a premium cooperative adventure on its own terms. Players following the project can watch for future announcements about its setting, gameplay, and release plans.
