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Origins
Blight: Survival started as a passion project by two Scandinavian developers: Mads Christensen and Ulrik (surname not publicly confirmed). Both still had day jobs when they began. Mads came from the commercial animation industry and described himself as a visual learner who transitioned to Unreal Engine. Ulrik had approximately a decade of Unreal Engine experience working as both a 3D modeler and gameplay animator.
The two connected after Mads saw Ulrik's work. As Mads described it, he reached out after seeing Ulrik's "flipping fantastic locomotion of a medieval knight." They discovered a shared vision and identified a gap in the market: "There weren't, and still aren't, any gritty grounded PvE medieval co-op games out there." The studio they formed, Haenir Studio, takes its name from Norse mythology.
Timeline
2022: Early visibility
The Steam page went live in 2022. On April 16, 2022, Haenir Studio posted their first TikTok. It generated 1.3 million views and added over 10,000 Steam wishlists. This was the first sign that the concept had broad appeal. In August 2022, a teaser trailer showed armored knights in a desolate, Blight-consumed landscape.
November 2022: The viral trailer
On November 3, 2022, Haenir Studio released a 5-minute gameplay reveal trailer. It went viral across every platform:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
IGN YouTube upload | 500,000+ views in 24 hours, 1 million+ in 48 hours, 2.5 million views within one week |
TikTok | The hashtag #blightsurvival reached 10+ million views in the first week |
Steam | 1.25 million page visits in three days. Wishlists surged 190%, moving the game from #166 to #48 on Steam's Top Wishlisted chart |
YouTube Gaming | The trailer trended in the category for several days |
The production quality confused people. Many viewers assumed it was a AAA project, not a two-person indie game. GamesRadar described the footage as looking "like a day in the life of an Elden Ring guard." Post-trailer community stats: 12,000 Twitter followers, 1,500 Discord members, 8,000 newsletter subscribers, 70,000 TikTok followers, 33,000+ Steam followers.
Early 2023: Team expansion
The team expanded from 2 to approximately 12 veteran developers. A Steam community post announced the growth and outlined the studio's ambitions with the expanded team. Later, an additional 10 developers were brought on, eventually growing the team to over 22.
March 2023: 650,000 wishlists
The game reached 650,000+ Steam wishlists, announced on Steam. The number has continued to grow since but no updated public figure has been released.
April 30, 2024: Behaviour Interactive partnership
Behaviour Interactive, the Montreal-based studio behind Dead by Daylight (with over 1,300 employees), officially announced they would publish Blight: Survival. This was more than a publishing deal. Behaviour also serves as a co-development partner, providing resources and expertise. Mads Christensen stated: "Teaming up with Behaviour Interactive signals the next major phase of development." Stephen Mulrooney, Behaviour's EVP and CTO, said: "Working with talented studios like Haenir Studio in this type of partnership will be a focus for us."
2025: Building foundations
The year focused on foundational systems: core combat, mission structure, visual benchmarking, and tools. Multiple developer updates were published:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
June 2025 | Discord AMA where the community got direct access to the developers. Confirmed PvE-only, no PvP planned. Discussed mechanics, timeline, and design philosophy |
September 2025 | Detailed devlog covering the core loop, infection mechanics, dungeon exploration, and breakable gear. The Nightstalker enemy was revealed in early form. The dismemberment system was highlighted, with artists Léo and Hugo credited for the collaborative 3D and technical work. A Nightstalker finisher animation by principal animator Richard was shown |
December 2025 | Holiday update confirming 2025 was focused on foundations. Stated public playtests will begin in 2026 and "reveals, playtests, and content will only ramp up." The team described 2025 as establishing the building blocks for everything to come |
2026 and beyond
2026 is planned as the year of reveals, playtests, and content ramp-up. The developers have been open about the timeline. The game will not release in Early Access. When it launches, it will be a full release. Public playtests are scheduled for 2026. Closed playtests are ongoing through bhvr.com/playtest for invited players. Multiple outlets estimate the earliest realistic release window as 2027.
Haenir Studio
Haenir Studio is a small independent game development company based in Scandinavia (described as Icelandic in some sources). The studio's growth from 2 to 22+ developers tracks with the game's trajectory from passion project to professionally published title. The name "Haenir" comes from Norse mythology, fitting for a Scandinavian studio working on dark medieval fiction. The team blends their indie origins with the resources of Behaviour Interactive's co-development support.