"The goal isn't to build something that burns brightly for a few years and disappears" – Cosmic Division CEO on launching a "responsibly ambitious" studio

Harry Krueger, best known for directing Returnal at Housemarque, has launched a new indie studio called Cosmic Division in downtown Helsinki. He’s joined by longtime Housemarque design director Henri Mustonen and COO Mika Laaja, and the company has already closed a seed round with undisclosed backers.

The studio’s core pitch is sustainability over scale. Krueger says Cosmic Division is trying to build a “forever studio” rather than a short-lived hit factory, with growth kept deliberate and project scope tightly controlled. That means prioritising talent, runway, and partner fit over aggressive expansion, and treating constraints as part of the design process rather than a limitation to fight.

For developers, the interesting part is the business philosophy as much as the game itself. Cosmic Division is explicitly reacting to the overhead and compromise that can come with larger AAA structures, arguing that too much scale can slow decisions, dilute vision, and force late-stage cuts. The studio is keeping its team small while it builds foundations that can support long-term output.

Its first project is still under wraps, but Krueger says it will draw on the team’s experience with intense action games while aiming for a distinct identity and a few surprises. The exact roles being hired haven’t been disclosed, but the studio is clearly in early formation mode, so this is one to watch for anyone interested in how veteran teams are trying to build durable indie businesses without losing creative ambition.