Moon Studios
An Austrian video game development studio known for the Ori series and No Rest for the Wicked.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Moon Studios GmbH is an Austrian video game developer founded in Vienna in 2010 by Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol. The studio became internationally recognized through Ori and the Blind Forest, a visually distinctive action-platform game released in 2015, and its sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, released in 2020. It later expanded into action role-playing with No Rest for the Wicked, which entered Early Access in 2024. The studio was formed after Mahler, who had worked at Blizzard Entertainment as a cinematic artist, became interested in the creative and commercial possibilities demonstrated by successful independent games such as Castle Crashers, Limbo, and Braid. The founders named the company in reference to the ambition associated with reaching the Moon, drawing inspiration from John F. Kennedy's well-known space-race rhetoric. Rather than establishing a conventional centralized office, Moon Studios initially operated as a geographically distributed or virtual studio. Its contributors worked remotely from countries including Austria, Australia, Israel, and the United States, collaborating through the internet. Vienna remained the company's headquarters. Moon's early development work included prototypes for Warsoup, a first-person shooter incorporating real-time strategy elements, and Sein, a platform game with Metroidvania-style exploration. Microsoft rejected Warsoup but agreed to fund Sein, with Microsoft retaining the intellectual-property rights. Sein eventually became Ori and the Blind Forest. A core team of approximately ten employees, supplemented by remote contractors, worked on the game for around four years. The development team first met in person at E3 2014, where the game was publicly presented. Ori and the Blind Forest was released in March 2015 for Xbox One and Windows. It received strong critical recognition for its art direction, music, platforming, and emotional storytelling. The game was also commercially successful and reportedly recovered its development cost within its first week. Its success enabled Moon Studios to expand substantially. By March 2020, the studio reportedly had more than 80 employees and had recruited people from 43 countries. To support distributed collaboration, it developed an internal communication tool called Apollo and organized annual retreats intended to strengthen relationships among remote team members. The sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, was announced at E3 2017 and released on March 10, 2020, for Xbox One and Windows 10. It extended the series' exploration and combat systems while retaining the hand-painted visual identity associated with the first game. Moon Studios announced No Rest for the Wicked in 2019. The action role-playing game was formally shown at The Game Awards in 2023 and was initially published by Private Division, a label of Take-Two Interactive. It entered Early Access on Steam for Windows on April 18, 2024. After Take-Two began the process of closing or restructuring Private Division in 2024, Moon Studios negotiated to reacquire the game's publishing rights. In March 2025, the studio stated that it had become fully independent again. The game continued development in Early Access, including the Together update announced in January 2026, which added cooperative multiplayer. The studio announced in February 2026 that No Rest for the Wicked had sold 1.5 million copies during Early Access.
History
Moon Studios was established in Vienna in 2010 by Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol. Mahler had previously worked at Blizzard Entertainment as a cinematic artist and had become interested in independent game development after observing the impact of successful independently produced titles. The founders chose the name Moon Studios as an expression of ambitious creative goals and a reference to the cultural symbolism of reaching the Moon. From its beginning, Moon differed from a conventional game studio because it operated as a distributed or virtual organization. It did not initially depend on a single shared office, instead recruiting developers and artists from multiple countries and coordinating their work online. Contributors came from places including Austria, Australia, Israel, and the United States, while the company's formal headquarters remained in Mahler's native Vienna. The studio experimented with several early concepts. One was Warsoup, a first-person shooter combined with real-time strategy mechanics. Another was Sein, a platform game built around exploration associated with the Metroidvania tradition. Microsoft declined to support Warsoup but agreed to finance Sein while retaining the intellectual-property rights. Sein was subsequently developed into Ori and the Blind Forest. Ori and the Blind Forest took approximately four years to make. The project involved a core group of about ten people as well as remote contractors. The development team met physically for the first time at E3 2014, where an announcement trailer introduced the game to a broad audience. Microsoft released Ori and the Blind Forest in March 2015 for Xbox One and Windows. Its reception emphasized its visual design, music, platforming, and emotional presentation, and its commercial performance allowed it to recover development costs very quickly. The success of Ori and the Blind Forest led to significant expansion. By March 2020, Moon Studios reportedly employed more than 80 people and had recruited talent from 43 countries. The studio created an internal communication platform called Apollo to support its remote workflow and organized yearly retreats to provide opportunities for staff to meet and build personal connections. A sequel, Ori and the Will of the Wisps, was announced at E3 2017. It launched on March 10, 2020, for Xbox One and Windows 10, broadening the original game's exploration and combat design while preserving the series' characteristic visual and musical identity. Moon announced No Rest for the Wicked in December 2019. The game represented a move from the Ori-style action-platform format into action role-playing. It was formally revealed at The Game Awards 2023, with Private Division, a Take-Two Interactive publishing label, attached as publisher. The Windows version entered Early Access through Steam on April 18, 2024. Take-Two began the process of shuttering or winding down Private Division in 2024. After several months of negotiations, Moon Studios reacquired the publishing rights to No Rest for the Wicked in March 2025 and said that it had become fully independent. Development continued through Early Access. In January 2026, the studio released the Together update, which introduced cooperative multiplayer. The company stated in February 2026 that the game had sold 1.5 million copies during Early Access. Moon Studios has also faced public criticism. A 2022 report described allegations of workplace mismanagement. The available reference material identifies the issue as an allegation rather than a confirmed legal or regulatory finding, so it should be treated as part of the studio's public history with appropriate qualification.
- 2026
Together update adds cooperative multiplayer
[1]Moon Studios adds cooperative multiplayer to No Rest for the Wicked during Early Access.
- 2025
Moon Studios regains publishing independence
[1]The studio reacquires the publishing rights to No Rest for the Wicked after Private Division's parent company begins winding down the label.
- 2024
No Rest for the Wicked enters Early Access
[1]The action role-playing game launches for Windows through Steam Early Access on April 18.
- 2020
Ori and the Will of the Wisps launches
[1]The sequel is released for Xbox One and Windows 10 on March 10.
- 2017
Ori sequel announced
[1]Moon Studios announces Ori and the Will of the Wisps at E3.
- 2015
Ori and the Blind Forest launches
[1]Ori and the Blind Forest is released for Xbox One and Windows and receives strong critical and commercial recognition.
- 2014
Ori and the Blind Forest is presented at E3
[1]The team meets in person for the first time at E3, where an announcement trailer introduces the project that began as the prototype Sein.
- 2010
Moon Studios is founded
[1]Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol establish Moon Studios GmbH in Vienna as a distributed game-development studio.
Products and positioning
A globally distributed independent game studio focused on artistically ambitious, narrative-driven games combining strong visual direction with exploration, platforming, and action role-playing systems.
Action-platform game · 2015
Ori and the Blind Forest
Moon Studios' breakthrough title is a visually stylized action-platform game built around exploration, environmental traversal, combat, and a Metroidvania-inspired structure. Players control Ori, a guardian spirit navigating a damaged forest. The game is noted for its hand-painted presentation, orchestral score, emotional narrative, and demanding platforming. It was released for Xbox One and Windows in March 2015 and became the studio's defining franchise launch.
Action-platform game · 2020
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
The sequel expands the Ori formula with a larger world, additional combat options, new traversal abilities, and a broader set of characters and environments. It retains the series' emphasis on illustrated environments, atmospheric music, and emotional storytelling while providing a more extensive adventure than the first game. It launched for Xbox One and Windows 10 on March 10, 2020.
Action role-playing game · 2024
No Rest for the Wicked
No Rest for the Wicked is Moon Studios' action role-playing project and a departure from the Ori series' platform-focused format. It combines real-time combat with exploration and role-playing systems. The game was first announced in 2019, formally revealed in 2023, and released into Early Access for Windows through Steam on April 18, 2024. A later update introduced cooperative multiplayer, and Moon Studios reacquired its publishing rights in 2025.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2025
Reacquire No Rest for the Wicked publishing rightsM&ABackground
Take-Two Interactive began the process of shuttering or winding down Private Division, creating uncertainty around the game's publishing arrangement.
Action taken
After negotiations, Moon Studios reacquired the publishing rights and stated that it had become fully independent.
Aftermath
Moon continued developing and publishing No Rest for the Wicked through Early Access under its independent structure.
2019
Move into action role-playingStrategyBackground
After establishing the studio through the Ori platform games, Moon Studios began developing a project in a different genre.
Action taken
The studio announced No Rest for the Wicked, an action role-playing game later associated with Private Division as publisher.
Aftermath
The game entered Early Access in 2024 and became the studio's principal post-Ori project.
2017
Announce Ori and the Will of the WispsProduct launchBackground
The performance of the first Ori game created an opportunity to continue the franchise and expand its systems.
Action taken
Moon Studios announced the sequel at E3 2017.
Aftermath
Ori and the Will of the Wisps was released in 2020 for Xbox One and Windows 10.
2015
Release Ori and the Blind ForestProduct launchBackground
After several years of development and Microsoft's funding of the Sein prototype, Moon Studios needed to bring its first major game to market.
Action taken
The studio launched Ori and the Blind Forest for Xbox One and Windows in March 2015.
Aftermath
The game received critical acclaim and commercial success, establishing Moon Studios as an internationally recognized developer.
2010
Adopt a distributed studio modelStrategyBackground
The founders wanted to recruit talent internationally without limiting the company to a conventional office-based structure.
Action taken
Moon Studios operated as a virtual studio, coordinating contributors in multiple countries through internet-based collaboration.
Aftermath
The model enabled the studio to build an international team and later supported a workforce recruited from dozens of countries.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
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