The new game development studio //18.bravo is pursuing a "radically different approach" in the industry

Robert Bowling, who previously served as a creative strategist at Infinity Ward, has unveiled a new game development studio in Los Angeles named //18.bravo.

Bowling expressed, via LinkedIn, that the studio aims to align leadership compensation with the achievements of employees. They plan to implement a royalty scheme for employees and share profits with external contributors such as voice and motion capture actors, as well as contractors.

In an interview with IGN, Bowling commented on the current state of the gaming industry, calling it excessively commercialized and advocating for significant change in its operations.

Bowling criticized the industry's trend towards prioritizing financial growth, arguing that this focus has been detrimental to both players and staff. He cited the exhaustion caused by ongoing content demands in free-to-play models and issues within the structure of large gaming studios.

Despite the studio's first game featuring online elements, Bowling stressed it will not adopt a live service strategy. He highlighted the game’s design around ‘forever play,’ which includes optimized peer-to-peer connectivity, aiming to maintain community playability even after the company might move on.

Should //18.bravo cease operations, Bowling intends to make the game's assets, code, and necessary development resources publicly accessible, with the exception of certain third-party integrations and licensed music.

Furthermore, Bowling plans to release all legal documentation and procedures involved to facilitate the model’s adoption by others at minimal cost.

Bowling's former role was as a co-founder and leader at Midnight Society, a studio that closed in February 2025 after experiencing layoffs earlier.