What Airship Syndicate does

Airship Syndicate Entertainment, Inc. is an Austin, Texas-based independent game development studio founded in 2017, operating privately with a headcount of 11-50 employees. The studio builds premium, cross-platform action and role-playing games and self-publishes its flagship title, Wayfinder — a co-op action RPG set in the shattered world of Evenor. Its shipped portfolio also includes the turn-based RPGs Battle Chasers: Nightwar and Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (the latter co-developed with Riot Forge), plus the co-op action title Darksiders Genesis (developed for THQ Nordic). The studio is led by co-founder and CEO Joe Madureira (also Creative Director), President Ryan Stefanelli, Game Director Steve Madureira, and Executive Producer AJ LaSaracina.

The studio's core product, Wayfinder, was originally co-developed and published by Digital Extremes; Airship Syndicate took over as sole developer and publisher in mid-2024 via a service transfer. The Wayfinder Echoes update (June 2024) re-architected the title from an always-online live-service game to a peer-to-peer offline co-op ARPG supporting up to 3 players, cross-play between PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5, Discord invite integration, NVIDIA DLSS 3, and Steam Deck verification, with all progression stored locally. Subsequent post-launch work added the Quality of Life 1 and 2 patches, the Lora playable character, The Crucible open world zone, two new Lost Zones, an account-wide Rank and talent system, an overhauled weapon and armor collection system, a Mythic Hunts endgame, expanded housing, and full mod support planned post-1.0.

Wayfinder is sold as a one-time premium purchase ($24.99 during Early Access, with a planned increase at 1.0), with no in-game microtransactions, loot boxes, or subscriptions of any kind. Additional revenue comes from a $19.99 Critical Role Supporter Pack sold outside the game as an optional cosmetic purchase that brings Vox Machina-themed personas, mounts, housing items, and sprays into the title, and from historical work-for-hire development with Riot Forge and THQ Nordic. Distribution is global through Steam and the PlayStation Store, with planned expansion to Xbox Series X|S and the Epic Games Store.

Name

Airship Syndicate

Legal name

Airship Syndicate Entertainment, Inc.

Website

https://airshipsyndicate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Airship Syndicate is an Austin, Texas-based independent game development studio that designs and self-publishes premium co-op action RPGs (Wayfinder) and turn-based RPGs (Ruined King, Battle Chasers: Nightwar) for global PC and console audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Game Development

akta.pro primary industry

Indie Game Studios (MPAFAAAC)

Keywords

• Video game development
• Action role-playing games
• Co-op multiplayer games
• Turn-based RPGs
• Game studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wayfinder Premium Game Sales: Wayfinder is sold as a one-time paid purchase (premium model). During Early Access the price is $24.99 USD, with a planned price increase upon full 1.0 release. The purchase includes all present and future Early Access content with no in-game microtransactions or additional purchases. Available on Steam, PlayStation 5, and planned for Xbox Series X|S and Epic Games Store.
2. Critical Role Supporter Pack: A cosmetic supporter pack sold outside the game at $19.99 USD, containing 4 character personas, 1 mount & saddle, 4 character charms, 15 housing items, and 10 sprays. Launched October 21, 2024 alongside Wayfinder 1.0. This is an optional purchase to directly support the studio.
3. Founder's Pack Items (Legacy): Existing Founders maintain access to Wayfinder Echoes and receive all exclusive items originally included in their Founder's Packs. Founder's Packs are not returning for sale. Revenue from original sales was realized at time of purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Airship Syndicate is an independent video game development studio that designs, develops, and self-publishes premium role-playing games across PC and console. Its flagship current product is Wayfinder, a co-op offline-capable action RPG sold as a one-time purchase with no in-game monetization. The studio also develops and co-publishes titles such as Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (with Riot Forge), Darksiders Genesis (for THQ Nordic), and Battle Chasers: Nightwar, and sells optional cosmetic collaboration packs (e.g., Critical Role Supporter Pack).

Product overview

Airship Syndicate is a multi-platform game development studio that creates games across various IPs. Their core product portfolio includes Wayfinder (a co-op action RPG), Ruined King: A League of Legends Story (a turn-based RPG with Riot Forge), Darksiders Genesis (an action spinoff), and Battle Chasers: Nightwar (a JRPG-inspired turn-based game). Wayfinder serves as their flagship current project, having undergone a major transformation with the Echoes Update from a service-based game to a premium offline co-op ARPG. The studio also releases cosmetic collaboration packs like the Critical Role Supporter Pack, sold externally to support development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wayfinder A co-op character-based action RPG set in the shattered world of Evenor; players become Wayfinders to control chaos, exploring immersive zones, collecting loot, and customizing characters with Echoes and weapons. Available on Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Epic Games Store.
• Ruined King: A League of Legends Story A turn-based RPG set in the League of Legends universe, developed in partnership with Riot Forge, featuring a deep story and unique twist on turn-based RPG combat.
• Darksiders Genesis A co-op action game featuring War and Strife from the Darksiders franchise, in which players shoot and slice through angels and demons.
• Battle Chasers: Nightwar A modern turn-based RPG inspired by classic console JRPGs, featuring deep dungeon diving, turn-based combat in a classic JRPG format, and a rich story driven by exploration.
• Wayfinder - Critical Role Supporter Pack A $19.99 cosmetic collaboration pack bringing Vox Machina characters (Grog, Vax, Vex, Trinket) from Critical Role into Wayfinder as exclusive personas, plus a mount, charms, housing items, and sprays. Sold outside the game to directly support the studio.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ bug fixes, updates, tweaks, and balance adjustments in the Echoes transition
• +4 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature12 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Critical RolecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 September 2024Airship Syndicate partnered with Critical Role to bring Vox Machina characters (Grog Strongjaw, Vax'ildan, Vex'ahila) into Wayfinder as exclusive cosmetic personas. Also includes a Trinket mount, charms, housing items, and sprays. Sold as a $19.99 Supporter Pack outside the game on Steam and PS Store. This is positioned as a mutually beneficial collaboration between two independent studios, with plans for additional supporter packs with other IPs in the future.
• Digital ExtremesminorOthers · 1 May 2024Wayfinder was originally developed/published by Digital Extremes. Airship Syndicate took over full development and publishing following a transfer of service. The Echoes Update (May 2024) marked the handover from Digital Extremes to Airship Syndicate as sole developer and publisher. No online requirements, no further Digital Extremes involvement.
• Riot Forge (Riot Games)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAirship Syndicate co-developed Ruined King: A League of Legends Story with Riot Forge. This is a completed project where Airship contributed game development while Riot Forge provided the League of Legends IP and publishing.
• THQ NordicminorOthersAirship Syndicate developed Darksiders Genesis for THQ Nordic. Airship does not own the Darksiders IP (owned by THQ Nordic). This is a work-for-hire development relationship.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Riot Games: Developer of League of Legends and Airship's prior co-development partner on Ruined King. Relevant as both a past collaborator and a large incumbent whose RPG/Forge initiatives directly intersect with Airship's premium RPG development lane.
• Blizzard Entertainment: Developer of the Diablo franchise, the defining premium co-op ARPG series. A broad incumbent that sets baseline ARPG player expectations for endgame, loot, and progression — the primary competitive frame for Wayfinder's premium positioning.

Direct peers

• Larian Studios: Independent developer of Baldur's Gate 3 and the Divinity series, a premium RPG franchise. Comparable as an independent, premium-RPG-focused studio that has built a large player base on quality and depth rather than microtransaction-driven live service.
• Coffee Stain Studios: Swedish independent developer of Satisfactory, Deep Rock Galactic (publishing), and Goat Simulator. Comparable as a privately-held, multi-title indie studio operating across genres with strong community engagement.
• Obsidian Entertainment: Premium RPG developer (Pillars of Eternity, The Outer Worlds, Avowed). Comparable as a mid-size studio specialising in deep, narrative-driven premium RPGs — directly relevant to Airship's Ruined King and Battle Chasers lineage and its premium positioning.
• Ghost Ship Games: Danish indie developer of Deep Rock Galactic, a co-op action title with strong community and mod support. Closely aligned with Wayfinder's co-op premium positioning, community-led development, and small independent studio scale.
• 11 bit studios: Polish independent developer of This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Comparable as a mid-size, privately-listed independent studio delivering premium, narrative-driven titles with strong critical reception and small-team economics.
• Moon Studios: Independent developer of the Ori action-platformer series and No Rest for the Wicked. Comparable as a premium indie action developer that self-publishes and emphasises quality, art direction, and platform expansion.
• Grinding Gear Games: New Zealand studio behind Path of Exile, a premium (free-to-play but no pay-to-win monetisation) co-op ARPG. Closely comparable on premium co-op ARPG positioning, content-driven endgame (similar to Mythic Hunts), and mid-size independent studio economics.
• Digital Extremes: Canadian co-op action game developer behind Warframe and the original publisher/developer of Wayfinder. Directly comparable as a studio of similar size specialising in live-service co-op action games, and the most relevant peer given the 2024 handover of Wayfinder to Airship Syndicate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AirshipSyn
• Facebookfacebook.com/airshipsyndicate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Airship Syndicate