MachineGames' Jerk Gustafsson: "There's Still a Strong Appetite for Focused, Narrative-Driven Experiences"

The Swedish studio MachineGames has now been operating for over 15 years, making a name for itself primarily through the Wolfenstein series, including Wolfenstein: The New Order and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, as well as most recently Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The Uppsala-based studio also has a satellite office in Sundsvall. Acquired by ZeniMax Media (Bethesda Softworks) in 2010, it has been part of Microsoft Gaming/Xbox since March 2021. Jerk Gustafsson has been involved from the outset. He is Co-Founder and Studio Director at MachineGames, as well as Game Director on Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which will be released on the Nintendo Switch 2 in May.

GamesMarkt: MachineGames was founded in 2009. How has the company developed since then? That's a long time, of course, but perhaps you could mention the most important events and talk about how many people worked for you at the beginning compared to now.

Jerk Gustafsson: "We've gone through a number of significant events over the years, much like the industry as a whole. If I were to highlight the ones with the greatest impact on our operations, the first acquisition - when we became part of ZeniMax - would be at the top of the list. We struggled a lot prior to that, and getting the opportunity to join ZeniMax and work on the Wolfenstein brand was a huge moment for us - probably the biggest of my career."

"At the time, we were only five people (we started as seven, but two had already left), and we quickly grew to around fifty, which I'd say was the average team size during the development of Wolfenstein: The New Order. Another major event was the pandemic, which significantly changed how we worked and had a negative impact on both the studio and the team. During that period, we started development on Indiana Jones, and the second acquisition happened, when we became part of Xbox."

"We've grown quite a lot over the years, but in a slow and controlled way. Considering the type of games we develop, I still think we're a relatively small - and very lean - team."

GamesMarkt: In 2023, another MachineGames studio opened in Sundsvall. Why did you decide to open another studio there instead of expanding capacity in Uppsala?

Jerk Gustafsson: "I've never seen our Sundsvall office as a separate studio. The people there are well integrated into the wider team and function as part of a satellite office. The reason for opening that space was fairly straightforward: we already had a couple of very strong contractors working out of Sundsvall. As additional contractors joined, we decided to open a small office to give them a proper work environment, and to hire them."

"Initially, the team there consisted entirely of programmers, but we now also have narrative and level design represented. There's a lot of talent in the northern parts of Sweden - many of whom have had successful careers at larger studios in cities like Stockholm and chose to move back home for various reasons, often to be closer to family."

GamesMarkt: What is the current status of MachineGames in Sundsvall, and what are the (expansion) plans for 2026?

Jerk Gustafsson: "My hope is that we can add a few more staff there in the near future. Some departments - such as audio and animation - may be harder to expand in Sundsvall due to physical requirements like soundproofed rooms and the fact that our motion capture space is located in our main office in Uppsala. Overall, though, we'd like to have as broad a departmental spread there as possible."

"It'’s also a positive to have a space that offers the focused, friendly feeling of being part of a small team, while still benefiting from access to the larger organization. The team we have there today is a fantastic group of people that anyone would love to work with."

GamesMarkt: Do you think this studio expansion could lead to the completion of your Wolfenstein trilogy?

Jerk Gustafsson: "From the very beginning, when we started drafting the story for Wolfenstein: The New Order, we planned it as a trilogy. Our intention is to deliver on that promise - to ourselves and to fans of the previous games. Exactly when that will happen is hard to say, and our recent years working on Indiana Jones show that many things can shift along the way. That said, we're definitely not done with Wolfenstein."

GamesMarkt: The last game from MachineGames was Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Looking back, how satisfied are you with the game and its success?

Jerk Gustafsson: "(...) When I look back at the development of a game, it's very easy to focus on all the things you feel you could have done better - not only in terms of what we shipped, but also how we might improve our development process. Our development cycles are long, and no matter how much you convince yourself that you'll get it right this time, there are always challenges and mistakes along the way."

"Indiana Jones introduced a lot of new things for us to manage. Not many people - not even everyone on the team - know this, but when I look at our future and where we want to take our games, both technically and creatively, I see Indiana Jones as the first step in a three-step strategy. Two key pillars of that first step were 'everything in real time' and 'large, open areas.' The former was primarily a technical shift - moving away from pre-rendered cinematics for a more cohesive experience - while the latter was about pushing player freedom and exploration, while still delivering a strong, narrative-driven experience, but in a more non-linear, system-driven way."

"How we managed to deliver on this, and the incredible work done by the team, is something I'm genuinely happy and proud of. And when you see the fantastic reception after release, it's hard not to get emotional."

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is also set to be released for the Nintendo Switch 2 on 12 May 2026. The game is available to pre-order from stores, either as a physical software card or as a digital download from the eShop. The story DLC, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of the Giants, will be available to download from 12 May. This game will be one of the first Microsoft/Xbox games released on the new Nintendo console, alongside Fallout 4: Anniversary Edition on 24 February 2026 and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered later this year.

GamesMarkt: Is the market for GaaS-ified games still big enough for classic single-player story games?

Jerk Gustafsson: "I certainly hope so, and I do think there's reason for optimism - even if it's become more challenging. High-quality, story-driven single-player games are becoming more rare, largely due to higher costs and longer development cycles, as well as shifts in consumer behavior."

"That said, the player base continues to grow, and while there are more types of games competing for attention than ever, there's still a strong appetite for focused, narrative-driven experiences. If we can continue to deliver strong single-player games, I believe players will make room for them. The genre absolutely deserves it, and I'm confident there’s still a meaningful market for these kinds of experiences."