Upstart studio Gunzilla Games receives $25 million in funding to build AAA shooters

This week saw the reveal of new developer Gunzilla Games, which is being helmed by Alexander Zoll and Vlad Korolev, who will serve as CSO and CEO, respectively. The pair have gained a reputation for their savvy industry investment strategies, which culminated in the founding of funding group GameGoove last year. GameGroove is providing $25 million in investment capital to get Gunzilla off the ground.

The focus of the new studio, according to the announcement, will be first-person shooters, a genre in which the team at Gunzilla is well-versed. The studio is made up of a number of industry veterans, many of which have hands-on experience building FPS games and other high-profile, AAA titles. The studio is made up of devs who have worked on franchises like Far Cry, Crysis, Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, Total War, Need for Speed, and others. 

“Gunzilla Games has a stellar team of talent that comes from the industry’s most recognized companies, including Ubisoft, EA, THQ, Creative Assembly, and more,” Korolev told GameDaily. “Along with Alexander [Zoll] and Timur [Davidenko], we have Olivier Henriot, who shaped the narratives of Ubisoft’s games for 18 years before joining Gunzilla. We hired Richard Morgan, none other than the author of Altered Carbon, to pen the script for the game. Scott Probin will bring his 32 years of experience in game production and design to the position of Game Director.”

Of course, opening a brand new video game studio comes with a host of challenges, but Korolev said that he’s confident his team’s experience will help to make the process as smooth as possible. With a roster like Gunzilla’s it’s hard to imagine that Korolev can’t back up this sentiment.

Part of Gunzilla’s founding philosophy is to be an adaptable studio, one that can move with the nimble, ever-changing nature of the tech industry. Korolev said that he wants to foster a healthy working environment that is capable of keeping up with the breakneck pace of the games business.

“We thrive to be a modern studio that understands and accepts the constant change in society, and that all people are unique and different,” he said. “We understand that’s no easy feat.”

Of the decision to focus on the FPS genre, Korolev said that the team’s enthusiasm and know-how made it a natural decision.

“We at Gunzilla Games are all big shooter fans,” Korolev told GameDaily. “Our team knows the ins and outs of creating shooters; even our chief technological officer, Timur Davidenko, led the development of CryEngine, the backbone of one of the most innovative shooters in gaming history. With our game, we’ll offer players a unique take on the genre, a highly immersive, unforgettable game world, and a groundbreaking approach to storytelling that will extend beyond the game.”

Looking forward, Korolev said that he’s excited to get the ball rolling and begin working in earnest with the team at Gunzilla.

“I’m looking forward to all the collaboration I will be having with our team across all departments, toying with different ideas to find what fits best as we build up our game brick by brick,” he explained. “Even with the challenges presented by the pandemic, it’s great to see that our team is full of passion for what we’re creating. It’s inspiring and it keeps reminding me that we’re truly working on something special.”

It will be interesting to keep tabs on the progress Gunzilla Games makes as it sets to work on its game. It’s impossible to deny the pedigree the studio boasts, so no doubt that expectations are going to be high. Korolev is confident, though, that the team can deliver on the promises made by its reputation. Expect more news soon.