Former Riot Games developers at Believer aim to innovate video game development through the open-source tool Friendshipper

The Believer Company has publicly released their in-house tool, Friendshipper, as an open-source project.

Founded by former Riot Games personnel, the studio is developing an advanced open-world multiplayer game. Friendshipper has been instrumental in streamlining the development process, including quicker bug fix implementations during playtests.

Landon McDowell, the company's chief technology officer, shared with GamesIndustry.biz that the tool enables rapid code adjustments, swift builds, and quick deployment of changes to the team and testers.

McDowell explained that sharing this technology is rooted in the belief that there’s a better approach to game development.

"Throughout our careers, we've encountered less than ideal conditions. We formed this studio because we wanted to find a more effective approach for numerous reasons," McDowell said.

"Frequent playtesting and avoiding crunch are primary goals. We believe enhancing the core development process is key," he added.

Since its inception last year, The Believer Company now has 65 employees. Of these, only a small team—approximately three—focuses on developing Friendshipper, though other members contribute occasionally.

McDowell pointed out that Friendshipper is just one way to address common challenges in game development.

"We’re not claiming to have all the solutions," he stated. "We aim to innovate and improve, but we recognize other developers have valuable insights too."

He emphasized the importance of creating a community around these tools to learn from collective experiences in the industry.

McDowell also noted that Friendshipper is designed to simplify development, believing that the process should be enjoyable.

"We think that when developers have a positive experience making games, it benefits players as well," he said. "Sharing these tools and practices can lead to a more productive industry."

Our discussion with McDowell covered additional strategies for improving game development efficiency, which will be detailed in our GI Sprint editorial special later this month. More insights from McDowell will be featured during GI Sprint.

Earlier, we discussed the studio's origins and goals with The Believer Company's CEO Michael Chow and chief product officer Steven Snow, especially after they secured $55 million in seed funding. You can read our full interview here.