From the studio behind the Warhammer titles, Mordheim: City of the Damned, and Necromunda: Underhive Wars, comes a fresh project developed internally with Nacon handling the publishing. The game studio Rogue Factor, based in Montréal, Canada, is finally poised to create an original IP game: Hell Is Us. This forthcoming third-person action-adventure video game is scheduled for release on September 4th, 2025, across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.

As the release date approaches in fall 2025, CGMagazine engaged with members of the Rogue Factor team to gain deeper understanding of the studio and the creation of Hell Is Us. Creative director and art director Jonathan Jacques Belletête, founder and head of Rogue Factor Yves Bordeleau, and audio director Antoine Vachon discussed facets such as the audio design, visuals, combat, inspirations, and overall atmosphere of the game.

This marks Rogue Factor’s first original IP game, yet the team boasts significant experience. What characterizes Rogue Factor’s culture and community-building—what is that unique element?

Yves Bordeleau: Excellent question. The key aspect is our long history together. When I founded the studio, we were a very small team. Several individuals here are people I’ve known and collaborated with for the past 20 years. It feels very family-like. We’re a small family that began by developing Warhammer games.

Then Jon [Jonathan Jacques Belletête] reached out, and we were like—

Jonathan Jacques Belletête: I said, ‘Hey there! I’m done with [AAA] games.’

(Everyone laughs)

Yves Bordeleau: [That’s when I replied], ‘Let’s do it.’ Jon brought a wealth of the AAA experience, along with the high-level principles necessary for crafting quality titles. I contributed the scrappy, resilient indie mentality. We essentially formed Voltron together. (Everyone bursts into laughter).

Jonathan introduced some of his team from Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and I brought my entire crew. That guy (gestures to Antoine Vachon) was employed by a buddy of mine, and after sharing a beer together, I managed to persuade him to join us.

Antoine Vachon: My background is more indie. What I can say about Rogue Factor is that we’re [situated right between indie and large studio]. We’ve retained the creative freedom of an indie team, despite our scale.

Yves Bordeleau: We have about 62 members on board, with 55 developers contributing to [Hell Is Us]. Everyone here is a seasoned [developer] with a wealth of experience.

Jonathan Jacques Belletête: [Hell Is Us] sits within the AA range. It wasn’t prohibitively expensive, but it wasn’t inexpensive, either. It looks more costly than it is. This is due to our multi-talented team and the abundance of experience we have.

In my honest opinion, [Hell Is Us] is nearly a flawless game, acknowledging that no game is truly perfect. Resident Evil 4 on GameCube had lengthy and tedious segments in the castle, and BioShock’s shooting mechanics don’t compare to Call of Duty. Aesthetically, [Hell Is Us] isn’t perfect. However, when considering its pricing, [everything fits].

Yves Bordeleau: Having everything produced in-house is a major advantage. Instead of being a colossal, cumbersome vessel, we operate like a swift speedboat. We can quickly adapt and execute iterative changes, which significantly benefits us. That’s the enchantment and fortune of [Rogue Factor].

Jonathan Jacques Belletête: Indeed, fortune. We’re fortunate to have built what we have. We’re genuinely pleased with it!

Yves Bordeleau: A crucial moment for us was when we were acquired by Nacon; that’s when we realized we might have the chance to develop our first original IP. Having talented individuals like Jonathan and the experienced personnel from [entities such as] Eidos-Montréal and Warner Bros. [Games Montréal] greatly enhanced our creative process.

Hell Is Us unveiled its initial teaser trailer in 2022, coinciding with the full reveal of Unreal Engine 5. Knowing Hell Is Us utilizes Unreal Engine 5, how did that influence its development?

Yves Bordeleau: We have a great rapport with the folks at Epic Games. We’ve collaborated with them previously. The tools and innovations introduced with Unreal Engine 5 significantly aided

Taking a quick look at future endeavors, Game Con Canada hosted its inaugural GCC Studio Showcase featuring Devolver Digital, Bloober Team, and several others.

Returning for its third iteration, Game Con Canada takes place from June 13 to 15, offering a venue for gamers to engage in video and board games, cosplay, participate in workshops, and meet special guests. On the first day of the expo, with CGMagazine’s Dayna Eileen as part of the panel, Game Con Canada hosted its first annual GCC Studio Showcase, providing an exclusive preview and highlights of titles from Focus Entertainment, tinyBuild, Devolver Digital, and Bloober Team.

The initial GCC Studio Showcase was held on the Intel Gaming Mega Stage, showcasing forthcoming titles from four prestigious studios, alongside Hollywood celebrities, influencers, and developers. For those who couldn’t attend or prefer a summary, here is a list of studios that took part in the Game Con Canada Studio Showcase to unveil their games:

tinyBuild

Beginning the GCC Studio Showcase, tinyBuild revealed two forthcoming games. The first was Sand, an open-world PvPvE extraction shooter created by Hologryph and Towerhaus and published by tinyBuild. Set in 1910 after the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s colonization of space, players navigate the perilous planet Sophie on massive walkers known as Tramplers. To thrive, players must enhance and upgrade their Tramplers, combat other players and creatures, and explore to collect essential resources. Sand is set to launch in 2025, with a wishlist currently available on Steam.

The second title introduced was Kingmakers, crafted by Redemption Road Games and published by tinyBuild. As elite agents, players go back to 15th-century England to alter history and avert a future apocalypse — either solo or with up to three friends. Carrying the fate of the world, players wield a range of military weapons and vehicles to confront AI-led medieval forces while devising strategies against varying unit types. Kingmakers Early Access launches on Steam on Oct. 8, 2025.

Focus Entertainment

Created by Hutihut Games and published by Focus Entertainment, Void Crew is a co-op roguelite game set aboard a spaceship. Played solo or with up to six friends, participants adopt different roles on a customizable spaceship, complete missions, and fend off hostile aliens and space pirates that test your untrained crew’s limits. In addition to facing threats, players can invest time in upgrading their ship and personalizing their characters. Scheduled for release on Steam in November 2024, Focus Entertainment attended the GCC Studio Showcase to promote the game and host a Void Crew giveaway.

Devolver Digital

Crafted by Pigeons at Play and published by Devolver Digital, the publishing team presented a co-op first-person shooter, Mycopunk. Joining the game solo or with friends, players become part of the Atlas Hazard Crew, a team of robots tasked with eradicating fungal infections from the galaxy. During their mission, players can select and enhance various weapons, create distinctive builds, and relax in an orbital dropship brimming with toys and games. Mycopunk is on its way soon, with a demo currently available on Steam.

Bloober Team

From the creators of Silent Hill 2 (2024), Bloober Team has unveiled insights into their upcoming third-person sci-fi survival horror title, Cronos: A New Dawn. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, players embark on a mission to salvage the future by protecting the past, seeking and gathering the essence of those lost during the apocalypse. Although challenges abound, players must manage resources, explore the New Dawn area, battle creatures, and confront the hauntings of essences trapped within their suit. Cronos: A New Dawn is set to launch in fall 2025 on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PS5.

From June 12 – 16, 2025, Game Con Canada Powered by TELUS will feature a Steam page throughout the expo, highlighting games showcased at the GCC Studio Showcase. In addition to the titles mentioned, the store page has spotlighted RoadCraft, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate – Casey Jones & the Junkyard Jam DLC, and many others.

That sums up every game showcased at the GCC Studio Showcase from the studios that participated in the event. Gamers can check out the Game Con Canada website for more information about the expo and look forward to next year if they couldn’t make it this year.

In an unexpected strategic change, GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen revealed that the company will shift its focus towards trading cards instead of video games, following the announcement of their Q1 2025 financial results. This choice arises as trading card sales have skyrocketed, representing 29% of the company’s total sales, eclipsing video game sales. GameStop has been improving its trading card offerings, such as in-store card grading by PSA and online sales of graded cards.

Moreover, GameStop revealed a substantial investment in cryptocurrency, acquiring 4,710 Bitcoin from May 3 to June 10, 2025, amounting to nearly $500 million. This action occurs amidst Bitcoin’s fluctuating market, where prices varied between $102,000 and $112,000 in May 2025.

The financial report also pointed out a 23% decline in GameStop’s stock since June 9, partially due to issues during the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, where customers reported damage caused by receipts being stapled to the console’s packaging.

GameStop’s quarterly earnings report can be found on their official website, although the company has not yet addressed the Nintendo Switch 2 concerns or their departure from video games.