Revision 1

Overview

Haenir Studio is a Scandinavian indie game development studio and the developer of Blight: Survival. The studio was co-founded by Mads Christensen and a colleague, both of whom were still working day jobs when they started development on what would become one of the most wishlisted games on Steam. The studio builds on Unreal Engine 5 using Quixel Megascans for its realistic medieval environments.

Founding and early development

Haenir Studio began as a two-person operation. Christensen and his co-founder worked on Blight: Survival in their spare time while maintaining day jobs, building out the game's core combat and medieval horror atmosphere as a passion project. The initial work focused on establishing the visual quality and combat feel that would later attract worldwide attention.

The studio's name, Haenir, comes from Norse mythology, fitting the Scandinavian roots of its founders. Despite working with minimal resources, the team used Unreal Engine 5 and Quixel Megascans to produce visuals that many viewers later mistook for a AAA production.

The viral moment

In August 2022, Haenir Studio released a first teaser trailer. Then on November 3, 2022, a 5-minute gameplay reveal trailer changed everything. The footage showed armored knights fighting Blight-infected monstrosities in detailed medieval environments, and viewers were stunned to learn it was the work of just two developers. The trailer spread rapidly across TikTok, YouTube, and gaming media.

Within three days, the Steam page received 1.25 million visits. Post-trailer numbers told the story: 1,500 Discord members, 12,000 Twitter followers, 8,000 newsletter subscribers, and 70,000 TikTok followers. Steam wishlists surged 190%, jumping from #166 to #48 on Steam's Top Wishlisted chart. GamesRadar described the footage as looking "like a day in the life of an Elden Ring guard."

Team expansion

By March 2023, the game had accumulated 650,000 Steam wishlists. The team expanded from 2 to 12 veteran developers, and the studio announced their growth in a Steam community post outlining new ambitions. Later, additional developers were brought on, growing the team to over 22 people.

The expansion allowed the studio to push further on systems that a two-person team could not have realized: deeper combat mechanics, more varied enemy types, expanded crafting systems, and larger environments. Despite the growth, Haenir Studio has maintained its indie identity, prioritizing the creative vision that attracted attention in the first place.

Publisher partnership

On April 30, 2024, Haenir Studio announced an official partnership with Behaviour Interactive as publisher. Christensen stated that the partnership signals "the next major phase of development" for the game. Behaviour provides resources, expertise, and industry experience while Haenir retains creative control over the project.

Development approach

The studio uses Unreal Engine 5 as its foundation, leveraging Quixel Megascans for photorealistic environmental assets. This combination is central to the game's visual identity, producing the gritty medieval environments that first caught the public's attention. The team's focus throughout development has been on core gameplay pillars: melee combat, enemy behavior, and environmental design, prioritizing feel and atmosphere above feature breadth.