Black Salt Games reveals new project & launches Disc 2 Games

Black Salt Games has announced it is now developing a new game and has established a second studio named Disc 2 Games.

End of DREDGE content

The developer, based in Christchurch, New Zealand, is known for the release of DREDGE, a fishing-themed adventure game that launched in 2023. After delivering a final major expansion for DREDGE, entitled The Iron Rig, Black Salt Games confirmed it will no longer produce additional content for the title as the studio focuses on new projects.

Nadia Thorne, Chief Executive Officer and Producer at Black Salt Games, stated, "We've taken DREDGE as far as we can technically – especially while continuing to support players on previous-gen consoles. It's time to turn our attention to something new."

Next title in development

The company's next game is currently in pre-production. Specific details have not yet been made public, but the studio indicated that its established themes will remain central to the new project.

Joel Mason, Programmer & Writer at Black Salt Games, said, "Creating DREDGE was so rewarding for us. Seeing players respond so positively towards our work is incredibly fulfilling. It's reaffirming to know that players enjoy the types of worlds that we want to create - and gives us the confidence to try to do it again."

Disc 2 Games formed

In addition to its ongoing game development, Black Salt Games revealed the co-founding of a second studio, Disc 2 Games. This new studio operates independently but shares personnel, including Nadia Thorne and Michael Bastiaens, with the original Black Salt team. Disc 2 Games is led by Thorne, Kris Nicholson, and Johannes Otte, all of whom have collaborated previously.

Kris Nicholson, Technical Director at Disc 2 Games, commented, "We've been quietly working on our first game for a bit over a year now. It's a fusion of ideas that we think work well together, we're really excited to share more about it soon!"

Johannes Otte, Creative Director at Disc 2 Games, described the approach to their debut game: "The game initially welcomes players with a bright, stylish, and fun facade. However, beneath this polished surface lies a gritty world, waiting for players to immerse themselves in and join our characters in rebelling against."

Both Black Salt Games and Disc 2 Games remain based in Christchurch and intend for their upcoming titles to continue the studios' focus on unique worlds and player experiences. Black Salt Games has not provided a timeline for the release of its next title, while Disc 2 Games indicated that there will be further updates in the coming months about its debut game.

Members from both teams have also indicated plans to participate in video game industry events over the various months ahead to promote their projects and share more details directly with interested parties.