When you think of video game development, Northern Virginia might not be the first place that comes to mind. But Arlington’s Loric Games is trying to change that.
Founded in 2022, the startup gaming studio isn’t completely new to the scene. Its four founders — Brian Johnson, Rob Denton, Colin Shannon, and Ray Soto — met when they worked at Mythic Entertainment, a studio that was part of the Electronic Arts (EA) umbrella, in Fairfax.
The four went their separate ways, and Mythic closed in 2014. But the group stayed connected by playing video games together, and they eventually decided to dive back into the industry.
“When we look at what we’re doing — bringing us all back together, growing the team — one of the core pillars of our studio is culture,” says Soto. “It’s that passion. It’s never left us. We want this. It’s a challenge, for sure. …We want to make games.”
The studio is preparing to release an early-access version of its first game, Echoes of Elysium, before the end of 2025. The airship survival game is based in the ancient Greek afterlife.
Soto says that, when players begin, they enter a world that is completely fractured. As players try to solve ancient mysteries, they will clash with armies and armadas while also exploring the ruins of these floating lands with their customized airships.
Last year, Loric Games announced a partnership with Snail Games, a Los Angeles–based developing and publishing company. Soto says the collaboration is a “perfect alignment” because of the similarities in the audiences of Echoes of Elysium and Snail’s best-known survival game, ARK.
Soto hopes that Loric can continue to grow in Northern Virginia. And he dispels any plans of the company moving to another city: “We’re staying here. We’re going to help build a community. We’re Northern Virginians. We love this space. We love it here.”
Feature image courtesy Loric Games
This story originally ran in our October issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
