Dmitry Zdesyev, the founder of Game Art Pioneers, is leaving the company
The Moscow-based company Game Art Pioneers, which is developing the game DISTORTION, announced the departure of its founder, Dmitry Zdotsev. He made this decision "due to differences in the vision for the company's future development."
DISTORTION
Interestingly, despite stepping down, Zdotsev will continue to collaborate with Game Art Pioneers. According to the company, he will work on other projects within the DISTORTION franchise. Besides the game itself, the franchise includes books, comics, and other "media content," including a series being produced with the support of Yandex.
The developers assured that Zdotsev's departure will not affect the game. Game Art Pioneers plans to share news about DISTORTION this summer.
To recap, DISTORTION is a story-oriented ARPG with strategy elements. The game has been in development for about four years. It is expected to be released in early access by the end of 2025, although an exact date has not been announced. Two years ago, it was revealed that Game Art Pioneers intends to spend at least $100 million on the development and promotion of the game.
Update: A representative from Game Art Pioneers contacted App2Top and clarified that Zdotsev will indeed be involved in projects within the DISTORTION universe, but not the series. Additionally, the series is not supported by Yandex but is literally being produced by Yandex. All previously announced projects within the franchise, including comics and books, remain within the scope of Game Art Pioneers. The representative also added that, currently, the release of DISTORTION in early access is not planned for 2025 but for 2028.