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Mohawk Games

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Mohawk Games
IndustryVideo games
Founded2013; 11 years ago (2013)[1]
Founders
Headquarters
Washington DC
,
United States
Key people
  • Leyla Johnson (CEO)
[2]
ProductsVideo games
Websitemohawkgames.com

Mohawk Games is an American video game developer based in Baltimore, Maryland, known for releasing the strategy video games Offworld Trading Company and Old World.

History

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Mohawk games was co-founded in 2013 by Firaxis veterans Soren Johnson and Dorian Newcomb.[3][4][5] The studio is based in Hunt Valley, Maryland, home to several video game studios that could trace their lineage back to Microprose from the 1980s,[6] a studio that itself had veterans who formed Firaxis.[7] The studio was founded as part of the Stardock strategic investment fund to promote strategy game development.[8][9] According to later President Leyla Johnson, "the small studio once comprised solely white men" early in its foundation, as part of an industry trend in the early 2010s.[10]

The studio's first effort was an economic real-time strategy game called Offworld Trading Company, for the PC.[11] Johnson has said that he prefers developing for the PC because of the lack of gatekeepers.[12] The game was published by Stardock Entertainment.[13][14] Offworld Trading Company featured music from Grammy-award-winning composer Christopher Tin, an old roommate of Soren Johnson who also provided the soundtrack for Civilization IV.[15] Offworld Trading Company entered Steam's Early Access program in 2015,[11] and was eventually released in 2016.[16] After its launch, Brad Wardell, who has served as President stepped down and promoted Dorian Newcomb as President.[13]

In 2018, Mohawk announced a new strategy game published by Starbreeze called 10 Crowns,[17] a title which they later changed to Old World.[18] Mohawk used Old World as an opportunity to improve on Johnson's work on Civilization 3, focusing on AI and diplomacy that would feel more immersive and less like a game.[18] In 2019, their Sweden-based publisher encountered financial issues, and sold the rights to Mohawk's upcoming game back to them.[19][20][21][22][23] Soren Johnson stepped down as CEO and was succeeded by Leyla Johnson, who prioritized greater gender equity at the studio and in the broader game industry.[24] By 2020, the studio had announced that it had successfully diversified their team and published a code of conduct.[10]

Games developed

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Year Title Platform(s)
2016 Offworld Trading Company PC
2021 Old World PC

References

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  1. ^ "Press - Mohawk Games". mohawkgames.com.
  2. ^ "International Women's Day 2022: In conversation with Mohawk Games' CEO Leyla Johnson on games and what it means to be a woman in the industryGames". www.pocketgamer.biz.
  3. ^ Nunneley, Stephany (November 5, 2013). "Mohawk Games: Civ 4 developers announce formation of "core strategy games" firm". VG247.
  4. ^ "Civ IV designer Soren Johnson announces new studio, Mohawk Games — Next stop, Mars". PCGamesN. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  5. ^ Tach, Dave (2013-11-05). "Civ 4 lead designer Soren Johnson founds Mohawk Games". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  6. ^ Whateley, Melissa (January 26, 2017). "Video game companies gather in Hunt Valley". Baltimore Sun.
  7. ^ Ey, Craig S. (June 24, 1996). "Designer starts new game firm". The Business Journals. Archived from the original on April 15, 2003. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  8. ^ "Civilization 4 lead designer starts Mohawk Games". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  9. ^ "Civilization IV designer launches independent studio: Mohawk Games". GameSpot. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  10. ^ a b Martens, Todd (July 9, 2020). "Resignations and reckoning: Game industry's existential quest for a more inclusive space". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ^ a b Matulef, Jeffrey (April 8, 2016). "Civ 4 lead designer's RTS Offworld Trading Company launches this month".
  12. ^ Benson, Julian. "Why do developers love making games for PC?". September 9, 2014.
  13. ^ a b Riser, Michael (2016-05-16). "Interview with Soren Johnson of Mohawk Games". Goomba Stomp Magazine. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  14. ^ Valdes, Giancarlo (2015-05-21). "Stardock CEO: In the future, publishers will be partners — and not owners". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
  15. ^ Daly, Stephen (April 27, 2016). "Civilization IV Composer Christopher Tin Talks The Music Of Offworld Trading Company". Gameranx.
  16. ^ "Offworld Trading Company for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  17. ^ Campbell, Colin (February 5, 2018). "Strategy legend Soren Johnson announces new game". Polygon.
  18. ^ a b Wilde, Tyler (March 24, 2022). "Soren Johnson says Civ 3's bargaining table was a 'big mistake'". PC Gamer.
  19. ^ Boudreau, Ian (May 11, 2019). "Facing financial shortfalls, Starbreeze may be forced to shut down this year". PCGamesN.
  20. ^ Flavius, Lou (May 16, 2019). "Rockstar Buys Studio From Struggling Payday Devs Amid Financial Woes". The Gamer.
  21. ^ McAloon, Alissa (2019-04-26). "Starbreeze sells 10 Crowns publishing rights back to developer". Game Developer. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  22. ^ "Starbreeze sells publishing rights for 10 Crowns back to Mohawk Games". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  23. ^ Horti, Samuel (2019-04-27). "Starbreeze offloads more publishing rights, this time for Mohawk Games' 10 Crowns". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2022-07-12.
  24. ^ Martinez, Adriana (March 8, 2022). "IWD22: "Society often tells women that they need to take 'responsible' jobs"". Pocket Gamer.
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