Lovecraftian fishing game Dredge was a hit back in 2023, blending unsettling horror and sea creatures with atmospheric storytelling and some good ol' reeling in. Now, after some paid DLC and free updates, the New Zealand-based developer is ready to move on from the seas and create something brand new — and "No, it's not Dredge 2".
Sharing the news on Bluesky, the team's next title will be an open-world RPG in a new world and setting. It'll still be dark, of course, but it's something very different from the studio's first shipment.
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But that's not the only new announcement; Black Salt has expanded and opened up a second development studio, called Disc 2 Games. "Think bright, colourful and 90's retro!" says the announcement post. Oh, we're thinking, all right.
“We’ve taken DREDGE as far as we can technically – especially while continuing to support players on previous-gen consoles,” producer and CEO of Disc 2 Nadia Thorne shared in a press release. The studio is eager to "turn our attention to something new” and move on.
Programmer and writer at Black Salt Games Joel Mason echoes Thorne's sentiments, saying "It's reaffirming to know that players enjoy the types of worlds that we want to create - and gives us the confidence to try to do it again."
In terms of Disc 2, the studio has apparently been working on their debut game "for a bit over a year now" says technical director Kris Nicholson. And, despite the proposed colourful facade of the upcoming game, creative director Johannes Otte is setting our expectations appropriately; "beneath this polished surface lies a gritty world, waiting for players to immerse themselves in and join our characters in rebelling against.”
This is fantastic news to read in an industry that feels like it's collapsing in on itself sometimes, and we can't wait to see more from both studios.
Are you excited to see what Black Salt Games does next? Let us know your thoughts on them and the new studio in the comments.