A44 Games

A44 Games is an independent video game development studio based in Wellington, New Zealand. Founded in 2013 as Aurora44, the studio develops action role-playing games that pair deliberate, skill-based combat with high-end visual storytelling, atmospheric worlds, and emergent multiplayer systems.

Its debut game, Ashen, launched in 2018 through Annapurna Interactive. The third-person action RPG combined cel-shaded art direction, stamina-driven Soulslike combat, and passive multiplayer matchmaking. The studio later released the expansion Ashen: Nightstorm Isle in 2019.

A44 Games followed with Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, released in July 2024 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Described by the team as a “souls-lite” action RPG, the game combines gun-and-axe combat, magical traversal, and a high-mobility approach to action gameplay. It was distributed through Xbox Game Pass on launch day and reached more than 500,000 players in its initial release window.

Development focus

The studio’s capabilities span full-cycle game design and production, gameplay programming and systems engineering, narrative design, worldbuilding, character modelling, environment art, and VFX animation. Its work includes:

• Action RPG and Soulslike combat design
• Third-person melee and ranged gameplay systems
• Passive and emergent multiplayer mechanics
• High-fidelity cinematics and visual storytelling
• Unreal Engine 4 and Unreal Engine 5 development

A44 Games is part of the developer-led Kepler Interactive publishing collective while retaining operational autonomy as a co-owning studio. The team draws on Wellington’s concentration of visual-effects and interactive-entertainment talent to create original games for global PC and console audiences.