Moon Studios

Moon Studios is a video game developer headquartered in Vienna, Austria, founded in 2010 by Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol. The studio built its reputation on Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, two acclaimed 2D action platformers, before shifting to the action RPG genre with No Rest for the Wicked, published by Private Division.

Moon Studios' Origin Story

Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol founded Moon Studios in 2010, aiming to build a small independent team capable of producing narrative-driven, visually distinctive games without the overhead of a traditional studio. The studio became known early on for operating with a distributed, remote-first team model rather than centralizing development in a single office.

Moon Studios' Games: A Complete History

Ori and the Blind Forest (2015)

Ori and the Blind Forest was Moon Studios' debut release, a hand-painted 2D action platformer built around exploration and environmental storytelling. It won multiple industry awards for its art direction and score and established the studio's identity well beyond its small team size.

Blind Forest got me with Naru's death in the opening minutes, before the game even really starts. You don't get time to prepare yourself for it, it's just gone, it reminded me of the beginning of The Last of Us, where tragedy happens and the rest of the game is you dealing with that loss.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (2020)

Ori and the Will of the Wisps expanded on its predecessor with new combat mechanics, a larger world, and continued the emotional narrative style that defined the first game. It received strong critical reception and is widely considered one of the strongest entries in the modern metroidvania genre.

Will of the Wisps hit differently, Ku's father dying near the end lands after twenty hours of watching that relationship grow, so it's less of a gut punch and more of a slow ache you're expecting and it still gets you anyway.

No Rest for the Wicked (2024, Early Access)

No Rest for the Wicked marked Moon Studios' move away from 2D platforming into a mature, isometric action RPG, published by Private Division, Take-Two Interactive's publishing label. The game entered Steam Early Access on April 18, 2024, and its full 1.0 release, originally planned for October 2026 on PC and PlayStation 5, was delayed to March 2027 so the team could refine its class system and overall performance. Release dates for Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2 versions haven't been confirmed.

Moon Studios' Remote Development Model

Moon Studios has operated with a distributed team spread across different countries rather than a single central studio, a structure that shaped how the team approached both the Ori games and its move into a larger-scope project like No Rest for the Wicked. Coordinating a globally distributed team introduces real communication and scheduling challenges, but it also let the studio recruit specialized talent without requiring relocation, a tradeoff Moon has leaned into since its founding.

Moon Studios' Creative Approach

Moon Studios' games share a consistent focus on hand-crafted art direction and tightly integrated narrative design, built using Unity across both the Ori titles and No Rest for the Wicked. The studio has maintained a small team size relative to its output, with creative direction under Thomas Mahler steering each project's visual and tonal identity.

Moon Studios' Critical Reception

Ori and the Blind Forest has sold over 2.8 million copies, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps was similarly well received by critics and players. No Rest for the Wicked has continued to develop through Early Access feedback, with Moon Studios stating the extended 1.0 timeline reflects a small independent team prioritizing polish over a fixed release date.