While we’re incredibly fortunate to have numerous team members who contributed to the XCOM franchise, Bit Reactor is much more than just a gathering of strategy game veterans. From artists who worked on Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse to gameplay engineers behind Halo Infinite, everyone on the team has an essential role in shaping our games. No one person on the team is more important than anyone else, and there’s no hierarchy when it comes to great ideas and contributions.

Hiring beyond strategy games, particularly outside of XCOM, was no accident. It’s a deliberate decision that took time, effort, and a clear vision of what we want to achieve. All too often, many studios tend to hire within their niche to build teams with experience in a specific genre. As for us, we wanted to break out of that mold. We want not only to make a great game but one that appeals to players across genres. To do that, we needed a team of developers, artists, and writers as diverse as the audience we hope to reach.

Why Does Variety Matter?

So why did we focus on building our team this way? It’s simple: we want to create a game-of-the-year contender, and we believe a team with experience creating high-quality games in a variety of genres is the best way to do so. Fresh ideas and new approaches that don’t strictly align with the strategy genre bring a wealth of perspectives to our studio. The more viewpoints we have in the room, the more we can innovate.

To create a truly great game, we need to create something that appeals to both hardcore strategy fans and those who love rich, story-driven experiences. Baldur’s Gate III is a great example of this concept and has shown that you can deliver emotional storytelling alongside tactical depth. Instead of trying to pick between worldbuilding, cinematics, systems and tactics, we’re asking ourselves: how can we take the best parts of each element and deliver something that blends immersive storytelling with top-notch tactical strategy?

Had we stuck to only hiring people who have worked on XCOM or other strategy games, we would have a room of people with amazing skills and experience but limited perspectives. Hiring from both strategy-heavy backgrounds and those with expertise in worldbuilding and storytelling ensures we’re not just treading old ground. We’re blending tried-and-true concepts with fresh ideas to create something truly unique.

The Soul of Bit Reactor

It’s easy to say you want a diverse team, but making it happen requires intentional effort. At Bit Reactor, it’s not about the founders or leadership – it’s about the collective strength of our team. The soul of our studio comes from the talented people who make our games, and we’re proud of the team we’ve built. We design by collaboration – not by committee – where each person holds a unique role in delivering fresh, awe-inspiring games to players worldwide.