Part 5/8:
Inside Firewalk Studios, the culture becomes increasingly precarious. Reports surface of a “toxic positivity” ethos, where dissenting opinions are stifled, and a lead designer insists on being addressed as a professor, despite lacking the credentials. These internal challenges coalesce with a vision for extravagant cinematics—the team aims to replicate the cinematic shorts of Overwatch, pouring vast resources into motion-captured cutscenes that ultimately detract from the core gameplay experience.
As the game’s release approaches, the design choices reveal a misguided attempt to stand out in a saturated market. Character designs become a focal point of disdain. Instead of embracing innovation, the team opts for bizarre, uninspired aesthetics that alienate potential players.