Ori and No Rest for the Wicked Creator Explains Why He Skips Gamescom and Other Shows

Moon Studios prefers running its own dedicated showcases over participating in major gaming expos because strict time limits and rising costs do not fit its reveal plans.

With Gamescom approaching, fans asked the team behind Ori and No Rest for the Wicked whether the studio would appear at the trade show. Studio head Thomas Mahler addressed the topic on social media.

Mahler stated that his team finds its proprietary “Wicked Inside” presentation format much better suited for their needs. The studio created this standalone format specifically to avoid being lumped into a block with dozens of other games under tight time constraints.

Mahler explained that developers at major events like Gamescom typically receive only a minute or two of stage time, unless they represent a major publisher or maintain close personal ties with the event hosts.

Financial considerations also play a role. Mahler pointed out that the cost of participating in such showcases has surged dramatically:

Now developers have to shell out around 250k to 500k for a slot on the show. And even after paying that amount, you have no idea where your game will be placed in the program. We pour all our energy, blood, and sweat into our projects, and I wouldn’t want Wicked placed next to some hastily made new project just because someone decided to put it there.

For a game like No Rest for the Wicked, the team often needs to showcase major updates in detail to properly explain and demonstrate new gameplay mechanics:

In show formats like [Gamescom], that would be impossible, and I don’t think players would appreciate a two-minute sizzle reel of all the new features without a chance to actually dig into them.

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