Former BioWare general manager Casey Hudson sets up new Canadian game studio Arcanaut Studios

Former BioWare general manager Casey Hudson’s creation of Arcanaut Studios establishes another major game developer headquartered in Edmonton. Founded with Chris Bain, Cordy Rierson and Ryan Hoyle, the studio brings together experienced developers whose previous work includes Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and the Mass Effect trilogy, alongside talent from companies including Microsoft, Epic Games, Remedy and The Coalition. Arcanaut represents a continuation of Edmonton’s established strength in large-scale narrative role-playing games while creating new local employment and retaining experienced development leadership in Alberta. The studio’s first project, Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic, also reconnects Hudson and other Edmonton developers with a franchise that played an important role in BioWare’s international growth. Establishing a new independent studio around this level of experience adds another significant employer and globally focused project to Edmonton’s game-development sector.