Notorious Studio
Notorious Studio is an independent US-based game studio building Unreal Engine 5 core fantasy RPGs, serving PC and console gamers through titles like Legacy: Steel & Sorcery and the upcoming Project Honor, founded by ex-Blizzard developers and backed by gaming-focused venture investors.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersOrange, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Notorious Studio does
Notorious Studio (legal entity: Notorious Studios, Inc.) is a US-domiciled, venture-backed independent video game development studio founded in 2021 by former Blizzard Entertainment developers who previously worked on World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch. The studio is named after the founders' guild of 17 years and is headquartered in Orange, California, operating a hybrid in-office model. It maintains a deliberately flat organizational structure emphasizing creative freedom, distributed leadership, and employee equity participation.
The studio's product portfolio centers on Unreal Engine 5-built core fantasy RPGs for PC and console. Its first released title, Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, is a third-person action PvPvE extraction game available for purchase on Steam, featuring player-versus-player and player-versus-environment gameplay with melee combat, spells, and open-world exploration. Its second title, Project Honor, is a class-based online action RPG in early development featuring Mage, Warrior, and Priest class mechanics, targeting PC and PlayStation. The studio operates a proprietary internal build and deployment pipeline supporting Steam playtesting, PlayStation builds, and live hotfixes.
Commercially, Notorious Studio operates a one-time perpetual license revenue model through digital storefronts (Steam, PlayStation Store) with global distribution. Its go-to-market motion is event-driven and community-led, anchored by a strategic partnership with OTK Media Inc. — the largest global streaming organization — providing investor capital and influencer marketing leverage showcased at the OTK Games Expo. The studio is venture-backed by Galaxy Interactive, Riot Games, 1Up Fund, OTK Network, and OTK Media Inc., with a disclosed $5 million funding round in October 2021 and additional OTK investment in June 2022.
Notorious Studio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Notorious Studio
- Legal name
- Notorious Studios, Inc.
- Website
- https://notorious.gg
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Notorious Studio is an independent US-based game studio building Unreal Engine 5 core fantasy RPGs, serving PC and console gamers through titles like Legacy: Steel & Sorcery and the upcoming Project Honor, founded by ex-Blizzard developers and backed by gaming-focused venture investors.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Notorious Studio industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Video Game Development
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios (MPAFAAAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console) (MPAFAAAA), Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like) (MPAFAAAF)
Keywords
Where Notorious Studio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Orange
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Notorious Studio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Game Sales (Legacy: Steel & Sorcery): Direct game sales through Steam storefront for Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, with potential console sales on PlayStation.
- Future Game Sales (Project Honor): Discovery/exploration game with class-based action RPG mechanics expected to generate sales upon release, with potential expansion to PC and PlayStation platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Legacy: Steel & Sorcery - Available on Steam |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Notorious Studio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Notorious Studio develops and self-publishes fantasy video games built on Unreal Engine 5 for PC and consoles. Their released title, Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, is a PvPvE core fantasy RPG available on Steam, and their second project, Project Honor, is a class-based online action RPG currently in early development.
Product overview
Notorious Studios is a video game studio developing core fantasy RPG games. Their product portfolio consists of two titles: Legacy: Steel & Sorcery (their first released game on Steam featuring PvPvE gameplay with third-person action combat) and Project Honor (an upcoming class-based online action RPG in early development). Both games are built on Unreal Engine 5 for PC and Console platforms. The studio was founded by former World of Warcraft developers and focuses on delivering immersive fantasy experiences with meaningful player agency.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Legacy: Steel & Sorcery A core fantasy RPG video game for PC and console built using Unreal Engine 5, featuring extraction mechanics, open-world exploration, PvPvE multiplayer gameplay, third-person action combat, and player-driven stories. It is Notorious Studios' first commercially released game, currently sold on the Steam storefront.
- Project Honor A class-based online action RPG set in a new core fantasy world, featuring class-specific gameplay for Mage, Warrior, and Priest roles, role-defining character art, immersive third-person action combat, and a PvPvE multiplayer experience. Built in Unreal Engine 5 and targeting PC and PlayStation platforms at full release.
Companies that use Notorious Studio
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Notorious Studio technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature4 records
Notorious Studio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Notorious Studio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Riot Games: Developer of League of Legends and Valorant — class-based competitive multiplayer franchises. Both a strategic investor in Notorious and a broad incumbent in class-based competitive design that Notorious' products will be benchmarked against.
- Blizzard Entertainment: Developer of World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Overwatch — the franchises Notorious' founders built their careers on. Comparable as the dominant incumbent in class-based fantasy PvP/PvE that Notorious is positioning against, with vastly greater resources.
Direct peers
- Crytek: Developer of Hunt: Showdown, one of the most established PvPvE extraction-shooter titles in the market. Closely comparable to Notorious in that both target fantasy PvPvE multiplayer with extraction mechanics on PC and console.
- Embark Studios: Building PvPvE multiplayer experiences such as ARC Raiders in the extraction-shooter genre. Comparable to Notorious in target genre (PvPvE), UE5 tooling, and console/PC distribution ambitions, but with materially larger funding.
- ArenaNet: Developer of Guild Wars 2, a class-based MMORPG with structured PvP. Comparable to Notorious in class-fantasy design heritage and the goal of merging PvE and competitive PvP gameplay.
- Arrowhead Game Studios: Developer of Helldivers 2, a breakout PvPvE co-op shooter. Highly comparable in genre focus (PvPvE, multiplayer) and small-team indie studio origins, though Arrowhead has scaled rapidly post-launch.
- Grinding Gear Games: Developer of Path of Exile / Path of Exile 2, an action RPG with class systems and multiplayer PvP. Comparable to Project Honor in class-based action RPG design and PC-first live-service model.
Emerging players
- Splash Damage: UK-based multiplayer game studio (Dirty Bomb, Gears Tactics). Comparable to Notorious as a similarly sized studio focused on multiplayer PvP/PvE shooter-adjacent experiences with Unreal Engine.
- Midwinter Entertainment: Small studio that shipped Scavengers, a PvPvE extraction multiplayer game. Comparable to Notorious in studio scale, PvPvE/extraction focus, and indie ambitions, providing a cautionary benchmark for the genre.
- First Watch Games: Early-stage studio building Predecessor, a PvPvE MOBA. Comparable to Notorious as a small team pursuing PvPvE multiplayer ambitions with console/PC distribution in Unreal Engine.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Notorious Studio social profiles
Digital presenceNotorious Studio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Notorious Studio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Notorious Studio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors5 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Notorious Studio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Notorious Studio
What does Notorious Studio do?
Notorious Studio develops and self-publishes fantasy video games built on Unreal Engine 5 for PC and consoles. Their released title, Legacy: Steel & Sorcery, is a PvPvE core fantasy RPG available on Steam, and their second project, Project Honor, is a class-based online action RPG currently in early development.
Is Notorious Studio a public or private company?
Notorious Studio is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Notorious Studio founded?
Notorious Studio was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Notorious Studio based?
Notorious Studio is headquartered in Orange, United States, in the North America region.
How does Notorious Studio make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Game Sales (Legacy: Steel & Sorcery) is the primary driver. The others are future Game Sales (Project Honor).
Who are Notorious Studio's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Riot Games and Blizzard Entertainment. Direct peers are Crytek, Embark Studios, ArenaNet, Arrowhead Game Studios and Grinding Gear Games. Emerging players are Splash Damage, Midwinter Entertainment and First Watch Games.
Does Notorious Studio have an API?
No public API is recorded for Notorious Studio.
What industry is Notorious Studio in?
Notorious Studio's product category is Video Game Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAAAK, Strategy/4X/Management Game Studios, with a secondary code of MPAFAAAA, AAA & Premium Game Studios (PC/Console). Its NAICS code is 513210.