It's not unusual to see game developers start their own studios over time, like when former BioWare devs created Archetype Entertainment under Wizards of the Coast. Yesterday, two former Respawn Entertainment employees, Drew McCoy and Jon Shiring, announced a new AAA studio called Gravity Well meant to create something they hope will "last for decades."
According to Gravity Well's website, the duo have worked on games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and most recently Apex Legends, for which McCoy was an executive producer. On the studio's website, Shiring says they'll aim to have a smaller team to "explore bold new ideas exclusively for next-gen hardware and PCs."
Gravity Well is currently in the process of hiring that small team, with the website listing eight development roles, three studio roles, and one unlisted role. Because of their decision to start amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Shiring says the studio is designed with remote work in mind.
As part of McCoy's opening statement, he says Gravity Well will focus on team feedback and encourage worker health with "good compensation" and anti-crunch measures. Crunch culture has been a huge topic for AAA studios in the wake of studios like Naughty Dog leaning on the practice for The Last of Us 2 and other games.
Source: Gravity Well