While Microsoft may be cutting team members and closing studios in its various gaming divisions, it is also putting its money down on new ventures as well. Today, a report from Exputer, via unnamed sources, claims Microsoft is funding the first game from London-based Hundred Star.
Hundred Star was first formed in 2023, but its existence was made public in early 2024. Its founders are Sefton Hill and Jamie Walker, who also co-founded Rocksteady in 2004 and led the studio in developing the highly successful and critically acclaimed games in the Batman: Arkham trilogy of titles for Warner Bros. Games.
Both Hill and Walker decided to depart Rocksteady in 2022, a while before the studio released its most recent game, Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League, in 2024. That game was not met with the same positive critical response from the media or gamers as the Batman: Arkham games and even Warner Bros has admitted the game has not fulfilled its expectations in terms of sales.
With the new Hundred Star studio, Hill and Walker have about 100 team members, which reportedly includes key former members of Rocksteady. Today"s report says that Microsoft has agreed to finance its first game, which will reportedly be published under the Xbox Games Studios banner.
As far as the game itself, Expute claims it will be a single-player action-adventure game, which could also be used to describe the Batman: Arkham titles. It will also use Epic"s Unreal Engine 5, according to the report. There"s no word on whether the Hundred Star title will be an original IP, a new game in a long-running franchise, or one based on another media property.
Microsoft could confirm this new publishing deal with Hundred Star as part of the upcoming Xbox Game Showcase event, which will get underway on June 9.