When a new game like Flynn: Son of Crimson launches, it can be tempting for the developer to start looking ahead at what the next project for the studio might be. Studio Thunderhorse, the developer behind this latest indie Metroidvania title, has addressed this topic of what might be next came up. Studio Thunderhorse floated an expansion of Flynn: Son of Crimson into a series as a possibility.
In an interview with Game Rant, conducted not long before Flynn: Son of Crimson launched, Studio Thunderhorse mentiond that the game can be considered "a fully finished product that doesn’t require expanding on." However, while this does mean that the title doesn't require DLC, this doesn't mean that a sequel would be out of the question, either following Flynn, his companion Dex, or his rival Rozia.
Studio Thunderhorse's Plans for DLC
At the time of the interview, Studio Thunderhorse doesn't currently have any plans for DLC, instead choosing to focus on the full release of the game and making sure that everyone's experience is optimal across all console. Without splitting any hairs, the exact words from the developer on this topic are, "We don’t have plans for DLC for Flynn at the moment!" So, it doesn't exactly get any more clear than that on whether or not the development process leading up to release had additional content in mind at the time Flynn: Son of Crimson launched.
We don’t have plans for DLC for Flynn at the moment! After almost 5 years of development, we definitely like to consider it a fully finished product that doesn’t require expanding on.
However, that doesn't necessarily mean that DLC won't come in the future, and Studio Thunderhorse had considered the idea of creating additional content for Flynn: Son of Crimson during earlier stages of development. At this point, the question more comes down to the success of the base game before the developer makes any sweeping announcements or moves towards DLC, or moving on to the next original indie project altogether. Add-on content is still a posibility down the line, but Studio Thunderhorse's focus is not looking in that direction right away.
Other Characters a Flynn: Son of Crimson Sequel Could Follow
A lack of a DLC doesn't necessarily discount that the characters or world of Flynn: Son of Crimson will be sidelined on the next project for Studio Thunderhorse. In the interview, the developer did comment on having more stories to tell or more characters to focus on if this debut title manages to earn itself a sequel. Considering the tight storyline already present, with the still emerging lore of the strange world of Rosantica to explore, and the character arcs to follow like Flynn's rival Rozia, there is room to tell a new story within the same world.
We do have some plans and ideas being tossed around currently and have wanted to expand on the lore, characters and environments for a while now so hopefully if the game is well received we can build on them much further.
Studio Thunderhorse did comment specifically on the idea of following either Rozia, or the guardian spirit Dex, claiming, "In general we’d love to involve Dex a lot more too, as well as dive into Flynn’s rival Rozia’s background some more." Additionally, in the Kickstarter campaign that initially gave Flynn: Son of Crimson the push it needed to find a developer and carve out a community among indie Metroidvania fans, one of the stretch goals did involve this type of content. Had the project raised enough funds, then Studio Thunderhorse was hopeful to be able to move forward with a Rozia-helmed DLC, though the necessary goal was never reached during the campaign.
However, depending on the success of Flynn: Son of Crimson and the possible continued support of publisher Humble Games, these early plans may come to fruition. Taking this speculation a step further, Rozia could helm a whole new game, either sequel or prequel, instead of DLC. Then there's the topic of expanding on Dex, something that Studio Thunderhorse is also interested in investigating in a future project.
Of course, it's still possible that the next project won't be related to Flynn: Son of Crimson at all, leaving behind the characters and world of Rosantica as the developer moves onto a completely new concept. At this point, in a time where careers and developers are built on the back of a flagship indie series, it's rare to see a title with the type of polish Flynn: Son of Crimson expresses release as a standalone title.
Flynn: Son of Crimson is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.