Following its split from Microsoft and Xbox, Double Fine is actively seeking funding for several new game projects. The acclaimed studio, known for titles like Psychonauts and Grim Fandango, is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to secure $400,000 for its next endeavor. A significant stretch goal of $100 million has been set for a potential Brutal Legend 2, a sequel to the 2009 cult classic.
The funds raised will support Double Fine's annual "Amnesia Fortnight" game jam, a two-week internal event where team members pitch and prototype new game ideas. Historically, this event has led to the development of games such as Costume Quest, Iron Brigade, and Stacking. After the prototyping phase, Kickstarter backers will vote on four selected prototypes, with one ultimately chosen to become Double Fine's next major project. While these smaller games offer a creative outlet for the team, the studio is also aiming to secure funding for larger-scale titles.
Among the prototypes being explored are Architactics, Astro Slam, Intergalactic Pro Wrestling, Bard Crawl, Brouroboros, Centauride, Cosmic Bonsai, Dragons, Gels, and Bear-Owls, Oh My!, Echo Emergency, Foley Artist, Fermi's Playground, Friendslap, Golem Hero, Insolation, Lesbian Sled Death, Lucid Gardening, Mochimochi Line Dancer, Muscle Madness, Plot Armor, Quokk 'n Roll, Reluctance, R.U.N, Super Power Performance Evaluation, Tonight We Feast, Tractor Takedown, Uprise, and Virtual Pet Manifesto. Pitched ideas can be viewed on the Kickstarter page.
Double Fine has humorously indicated that $100 million would be the approximate cost to fund Brutal Legend 2, comparing it to the purchase price of a superyacht owned by a notable billionaire. The studio noted that this figure is roughly 20% of the cost of Valve co-founder Gabe Newell's recent yacht acquisition. However, the likelihood of reaching such a high crowdfunding target within a month is considered improbable, given the historical success of even the most popular video game Kickstarter campaigns. For context, Shenmue 3 raised $6.3 million, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night garnered $5.5 million, and Double Fine's own Broken Age secured $3.45 million. Star Citizen remains an outlier, having raised over $1 billion in crowdfunding over 14 years, yet still lacks a definitive release date.
The substantial hypothetical cost for Brutal Legend 2 could be attributed to licensing fees for music, similar to the original game's curated soundtrack of rock and heavy metal anthems. The passing of several music icons, including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy Kilmister, and Tim Curry, since the original game's release would also impact the potential development of a sequel. In addition to these creative endeavors, Double Fine recently underwent a round of 23 layoffs following its departure from Microsoft, a measure studio head Tim Schafer stated was necessary for the studio's survival.