Bethesda, BioWare, and Naughty Dog alumni form Near Studios

Former Bethesda, BioWare, and Naughty Dog developers have joined forces and unveiled new US-based company Near Studios.

The studio is led by CEO and creative director Heather Cerlan, formerly lead 3D artist at Amy Hennig and Juliam Beak’s Skydance New Media studio. She previously held senior art roles at the likes of Wizards of the Coast’s Archetype Entertainment, Bethesda Game Studios, Naughty Dog, and EA.

Joining her as co-founder and game director is Jason Richardson, previously lead designer at Funcom, having also worked as systems and gameplay designer at the likes of Bethesda and BioWare.

Among others, the pair has hired Skyrim’s lead designer Bruce Nesmith to “lend his extensive sandbox systems expertise” to the studio’s debut project, Hawthorn, that has apparently been described by early players as “an intimate Skyrim sandbox meets a Stardew Valley village simulation.”

Richardson commented: “In Hawthorn, everything – from crafting to adventuring – is centred around a living village of NPCs and your co-op friends. We want to evoke the nostalgic joy and wonder of shared adventures, much like the timeless stories and simple pleasures that connect us across generations.”