The Game Studio, Redesigned
Companies these days aren't like those in the industrial age, yet they're run roughly the same. That's why our first design project was to rethink the structure of the video game studio itself.
Creative Freedom
We enjoy open worlds and player agency in our games, why not our teams?
We aim to reduce the traditional rigid hierarchy, empowering individuals with autonomy and freedom to do their best work.
Culture of Trust
We believe that great games are made by the talented developers, not process.
Reclaim your time typically lost through stakeholder approvals and endless meetings.
Everyone Leads
At Notorious, we write our org chart in pencil not pen. Rather than burdening all decision-making and responsibility on a select few, we aspire to distribute important decisions and responsibility among the broader team, giving everyone an opportunity to lead.
Our Values
Here's what it means to be Notorious.
Champion the Mission
Think about what's best for the company and our games. When the mission and your work don't align, it's your duty to sound the alarm.
What's The Experience?
It's not about great code, great design, or great art. It's about a great player experience. Start with the player experience, and work backwards to the gameplay.
The Best Ideas Win
We thrive when we have tough, open, and candid conversations about what's best for our games and the studio.
People, Not Process
When you optimize for efficiency, you lose flexibility and creativity. Instead of adhering to rigid pipelines and procedures, we believe magic comes from fostering an environment that nurtures imagination.
Min/Max Everything
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Team First, Then Players
If we can't design a great studio, how can we design a great game? Our team is our first priority because if the team isn't thriving, the player will never be served.
Our Team
Our founding team are veteran individual contributors who have a passion for world-building.
Chris Kaleiki
Co-founder
Game/Systems Designer
Former Systems and Class Designer on World of Warcraft at Blizzard of 13-years. Designer of the Monk Class, the PvP Talent System, memorable spells and more.
Favorite Games
Zelda OoT, World of Warcraft, DOTA
Cole Eastburn
Illustrator
Concept Artist
Former Senior Visual Development Artist on World of Warcraft at Blizzard. Cole has shaped the look of memorable characters and environments for over 14-years.
Favorite Games
Zelda: A Link to the Past, World of Warcraft, Battlefield 1
Colin Volrath
Level Design
Environment Art
Former Senior II Level Designer at Blizzard on World of Warcraft. Designer of memorable zones in WoW like Boralus or dungeons like De Other Side, Colin's first gaming contributions were in Counterstrike with maps like Tuscan and Russka.
Favorite Games
Half-Life, Escape from Tarkov, World of Warcraft
Cort Keefer
Gameplay Engineer
Systems Design
Former Gameplay Engineer at Blizzard on World of Warcraft. Cort's love for great combat in epic worlds makes him the perfect fit to help forge the combat system in our first title.
Favorite Games
Halo 2, DOTA, Dark Souls
Doug Frazer
Co-founder
Gameplay/Systems Engineer
Former Senior Gameplay Engineer on World of Warcraft at Blizzard. Doug's attention to detail and passion for great gameplay has birthed many memorable features and systems.
Favorite Games
DOTA, World of Warcraft, Dark Souls 3
Eric Braddock
3D Artist
Storyteller
Concept Artist
Former Senior Artist on World of Warcraft at Blizzard, Eric's talents span from building 3D prop culture kits to numerous illustrations for Hearthstone and more.
Favorite Games
Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft, Witcher 3, DOTA
Jason Kanagaratnam
Gameplay Engineer
Systems Design
Former Senior Gameplay Engineer on World of Warcraft at Blizzard. Jason has spent his career working on core gameplay like housing, spells, combat, and animation. Now Jason is focused on building out the combat system for Notorious' first project.
Favorite Games
Zelda: BotW, Shadow of the Colossus, Rocket League
Robert Moodey
Gameplay Engineer
Systems Design
Former Senior Gameplay Engineer at Blizzard. A professional game developer of over 16-years. With a love for solving challenging problems, Robert has built systems and gameplay for games like World of Warcraft and Diablo.
Favorite Games
Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, Left for Dead 2, World of Warcraft
Alex O'Konski
Server Engineer
Backend
Former Senior Server Engineer on Overwatch at Blizzard. Alex enjoys thinking about distributed systems, solving hard problems, and new and creative ways for things to break. At Notorious, Alex is focused on all things backend.
Favorite Games
Counter-strike, Overwatch, DOTA, Zelda: BoTW
John Liberto
Game Design, Systems
Gameplay Vision
Former Lead Systems Designer on New World. John has spent his 15-year career working in a variety of genres, from third- and first-person shooters to MMORPGs. He is currently focused on envisioning and working with the team to build the mechanics that will drive the gameplay of Notorious’ first project.
Favorite Games
Crusader: No Remorse, Elite: Dangerous, Guild Wars
Regie Santiago
Character Art
Coming Soon
Tim Petre
Tech Art
Coming Soon
Kevin Langendoen
Game Design, Combat
Coming Soon
Ellie
Chief Morale Officer
California native with 28 (dog) years of experience. Specializes in increasing morale in both private and corporate sectors.
Jonathan Jelinek
Former General Manager, Nexon America
Former Executive Project Manager, Carbine Studios on Wildstar
Omeed Rameshni
Studio Senior Business Director, Microsoft
Former Head of Strategy for League of Legends, Riot Games
Ray Gresko
Founding Partner at Blue Silver Studios
Former Chief Development Officer at Blizzard Entertainment
OUR ADVISORS
We wouldn't be here without the conviction of our investors.
A New Beginning
The next chapter of core fantasy RPG begins.