Harry Krueger, best known as the director of Returnal, has officially left Housemarque to establish a new game development studio called Cosmic Division. The move marks a notable change for one of the key creative figures behind one of the most critically discussed action roguelike titles of recent years. Returnal, released in 2021, helped solidify Housemarque’s position in the AAA space, gaining attention for its fast combat design, atmospheric presentation, and structured gameplay loop that combined repetition with narrative progression.
Following his departure, Krueger has founded Cosmic Division, a Finland-based studio that is already positioning itself with a clear development direction. According to the studio’s announcement, the team will operate with a “focused and responsibly ambitious approach,” emphasizing a production style built around sustainability rather than rapid scaling. The studio also describes its internal structure as “lean-and-mean,” aiming to keep workflows efficient while maintaining a strong focus on craft and iteration speed.
While full project details remain under wraps, Cosmic Division has confirmed that development has already started on a new intellectual property designed for both PC and console platforms. The upcoming title will be a single-player experience and is being built with gameplay at the center of its design philosophy. The studio also noted that the project will feature an emotionally driven narrative, suggesting a more structured storytelling approach compared to the systemic roguelike design seen in Returnal.
Early descriptions of the project indicate that the game will focus heavily on moment-to-moment mechanics while balancing narrative depth. Although no genre specifics have been confirmed, the emphasis on a “gameplay-first” design approach hints at a tightly controlled experience rather than an open-ended or procedurally generated structure.
Cosmic Division has also secured seed funding, allowing the team to move forward into pre-production. Alongside development progress, the studio is currently seeking additional collaborators, investors, and experienced developers to expand its core team as production scales.
With Krueger’s track record and Returnal still widely regarded as a standout PlayStation release, the formation of Cosmic Division has already drawn attention within the industry. However, with the project still in early stages, details remain limited and no release window has been announced. For now, the studio appears focused on building its foundation and shaping its first project with a controlled and deliberate development strategy.
