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People Can Fly working on $30-50 million 'Project Maverick' for Microsoft

The Bulletstorm and Outriders devs are reportedly working on a game set in an existing Microsoft IP.

TJ Denzer

June 14, 2023 7:45 AM

Image via People Can Fly

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It looks like Bulletstorm and Outriders studio People Can Fly is working on a fairly grandiose new project for Microsoft and Xbox. Recently a deal was posted in regards to People Can Fly and Microsoft, with the latter commissioning a “Project Maverick” from the studio. It’s said to have a budget of $30 million to $50 million USD, and will be set in an existing Microsoft IP.

This deal was reported on Polish business site Interia Biznes, as translated by Wario64, and lays out the terms of the deal between People Can Fly and Microsoft.

The agreement report goes on to say that the “total budget of the Publisher for the production of the Game by the Company amounts to USD 30 - 50 million.”

What does this mean? Simply put, People Can Fly is working on an AAA game for Microsoft that be developed with up to a $50 million budget. It goes on to confirm that whatever the game is, it will be set in a known IP. People Can Fly’s most recent effort was Outriders for Square Enix. It was a decent enough game, and Square Enix was happy enough with it to call the game its next major franchise. Nonetheless, People Can Fly have also worked with Microsoft on the Gears of War series several times in the past. It aided in the PC port development of the original, and also contributed to Gears of War: Judgement alongside Epic Games.

It's been a fairly long time since the Gears of War series made an appearance, with the last one being Gears Tactics in 2020. Is People Can Fly helping with a new Gears game? We can’t say for sure yet, but it sounds like People Can Fly will have something to announce under the Microsoft banner in the years ahead. Stay tuned as we await updates on what it is.

TJ Denzer

Senior News Editor

TJ Denzer is a player and writer with a passion for games that has dominated a lifetime. He found his way to the Shacknews roster in late 2019 and has worked his way to Senior News Editor since. Between news coverage, he also aides notably in livestream projects like the indie game-focused Indie-licious, the Shacknews Stimulus Games, and the Shacknews Dump. You can reach him at tj.denzer@shacknews.com and also find him on Twitter @JohnnyChugs.