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After Pathfinder and One of the Best Warhammer 40,000 Games Ever Made, Owlcat’s Next Step Is to Top Them All — and It’s Grown to 600 People to Do It
Owlcat Games, the studio behind Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous and Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, has expanded from 15 staff to around 600 as it develops several larger projects. Its next announced titles are Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy, another choice-driven computer RPG, and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, a third-person action RPG inspired by the Mass Effect format; the latter represents a major change in style for the studio.
Creative director Alexander Mishulin said Wrath of the Righteous was the company’s real turning point because its success demonstrated that Owlcat could repeatedly deliver ambitious RPGs. Rogue Trader then strengthened relationships with Games Workshop and other rights holders, while discussions for both Rogue Trader and The Expanse began before their preceding games were released. Dark Heresy will centre on investigation and the role of a Warhammer 40,000 Inquisitor, while Owlcat is also working on undisclosed projects.
In short
- Owlcat has grown from 15 employees to about 600.
- It is developing Dark Heresy and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn.
- Earlier RPG successes opened doors to major licensed projects.
Explained simply
Owlcat Games is a developer specialising in computer RPGs set in established science fiction and fantasy universes. The studio has built its reputation on complex, story-driven games in franchises such as Pathfinder and Warhammer 40,000, where player decisions meaningfully shape how the narrative unfolds.
The studio has grown dramatically from 15 employees to around 600 staff members, a transformation that reflects the commercial success of its recent releases. This expansion marks Owlcat's transition from a small independent operation to a much larger company capable of managing several ambitious projects simultaneously.
The expansion reflects confidence that Owlcat can grow substantially whilst maintaining what made its games successful. The studio is now positioned to tackle multiple ambitious projects and strengthen relationships with the entertainment companies whose franchises provide the setting for its games.