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Headlight Studio
February 23, 2026 at 04:31 AM
Comprehensive article on Headlight Studio's founding, projects, funding, and partnerships
Headlight Studio is an independent game development studio located in Castelnau-le-Lez, France, near Montpellier. The studio was founded by Mathieu, who serves as Game Director on their flagship project, Rooted. Headlight Studio started as a team of five and remains fully independent, maintaining complete creative control over their projects.
Title | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
Rooted | Post-apocalyptic co-op survival (main project) | Alpha Phase 3; Early Access targeted 2027 |
Backrooms: Extractions | Horror game (side project) | Released; 30,000+ copies sold |
Rooted is Headlight Studio's primary project and the game that has generated the most attention for the studio. It is a post-apocalyptic cooperative survival game built on Unreal Engine 5, supporting 1-6 players. The game has accumulated over 1 million Steam wishlists, placing it among the most wishlisted indie games on the platform. Development is currently in Alpha Phase 3, with Early Access targeted for 2027.
Backrooms: Extractions is a side project developed by Headlight Studio alongside Rooted. The horror game has sold over 30,000 copies, providing the studio with additional revenue and development experience while their main project continues through alpha testing.
Headlight Studio has secured funding and recognition through multiple channels:
Kickstarter: The studio ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for Rooted that raised approximately 120,000 GBP from over 20,000 backers. The campaign demonstrated strong community interest and provided early development funding.
Epic MegaGrant: Headlight Studio received an Epic MegaGrant, a program through which Epic Games provides funding to projects using Unreal Engine. This grant supported the studio's development of Rooted on UE5.
Nvidia partnership: The studio has established a partnership with Nvidia, which may involve technical collaboration, promotional support, or both.
As a fully independent studio that started with five members, Headlight Studio represents the small-team approach to game development. Their decision to remain independent means they retain full creative control over Rooted's direction, which has allowed them to pursue a specific vision for post-apocalyptic survival gameplay without external publisher pressure on design decisions.
The studio's location near Montpellier places them within one of France's game development hubs, providing access to talent and industry infrastructure while maintaining the operational independence that characterizes their approach.
