Given the current situation in Ukraine, it’s understandable why some Ukrainian game studios, like Stalker 2 dev GSC Game World, have paused development on their projects. However, Frogwares, the studio behind Sherlock Holmes Chapter One and The Sinking City, has chosen to keep working, despite the war scattering its members across the country and the EU.
Earlier today, it announced that it will be releasing one final piece of DLC for its Sherlock Holmes game, titled M for Mystery, which sees the titular detective face off against a shadowy figure only known as M. No doubt we’re meant to assume it’s Moriarty, Holmes’ most well-known nemesis, but perhaps Frogwares is being deliberately misleading.
In a statement to Eurogamer, studio CEO Wael Amr explained why Frogwares is still working during such difficult times. “Put simply, we need to keep the studio alive and functioning to the best of our abilities now more than ever. … We are an independent studio with no external financing, investors, or parent company keeping us afloat. So it’s up to us alone and through the support of our players wanting to play our games that will keep this studio alive.” Even with the ongoing war, Frogwares feels like the team must continue so that they aren’t “starting from zero” when it’s over.
Aside from the DLC, Frogwares also has plans to release another of its Sherlock Holmes games, The Devil’s Daughter, for Nintendo Switch on April 7.
