Open World Game Hawthorn, The First Title From Near Studios, Was Founded By Studio Veterans And Is Using AI Models For Development

A new studio has once again emerged with several veterans from bigger AAAs, promising a new game experience.

As reported by GamesIndustry.Biz, Near Studios has revealed they are making a new game called Hawthorn. Early players of Hawthorn have described the title as “an intimate Skyrim sandbox meets a Stardew Valley village simulation.”

Hawthorn’s game director, Jason Richardson, shares this description:

“In Hawthorn, everything – from crafting to adventuring – is centred around a living village of NPCs and your co-op friends. We want to evoke the nostalgic joy and wonder of shared adventures, much like the timeless stories and simple pleasures that connect us across generations.”

Richardson had previously worked at Bethesda, Bioware, and Funcom, as a system and gameplay designer. Joining Richardson as a founding member of Near Studios is CEO and creative director Heather Cerlan. Heather had previously worked at EA, Naughty Dog, Bethesda, and Archetype Entertainment, the game studio under Wizards of the Coast.

Hawthorn does have a Steam page, but SteamDB does not have any player metrics as of yet. Sometimes, SteamDB does reveal player numbers for alpha or beta tests, with people who were given access to the game via Valve’s platform. So, it seems safe to assume that Near Studios isn’t quite ready for full scale online systems testing. They’re also not quite ready to show the game to influencers to create that buzz (with that risk of early leaks) quite yet.

The Steam page allows users to wishlist the title now, and gives us a different description:

“Once upon a time, woodland creatures built a trading post in forgotten Windermere Valley, but now it is the haunt of varmints, fairy lights, and mysterious rumors about why this village was abandoned.

To you, however, this is a hope for a new life. Recruit villagers and grow a community. Defend against the elements and forest tricksters. Thrive and celebrate the seasons’ traditions. Rebuilding won’t be easy, but you and your newfound friends are up to the challenge.”

But perhaps there is a red flag gamers should take notice of as well. The Steam page also discloses that game development is using AI models, like so:

“Hawthorn will not ship with AI-generated content. However, 2D AI imagery, after being significantly edited by humans, is used for placeholder 2D art and iconography in the pre-alpha development version of the game. This placeholder art may be seen in various pre-release demos. However, AI-based art will be replaced before Hawthorn is available for purchase.”

We will leave it to you, our readers, to decide how you feel about Near Studios’ disclosure, and how they are implementing use of AI models in particular. In the meantime, you can watch Hawthorn’s official announcement trailer below.