A small team of avid modders has taken the next step and formed their own Colorado-based indie venture, Long War Studios, as they prepare to create their first full game.
Modding has long served as a springboard for would-be game developers to get into the industry, though often they take a job at an established game company (using their modwork as a sort of job application) rather than launching their own indie studio.
Long War is notably different. Like Tabletop Simulator developer Berserk Games, Long War Studios was founded by a pair of modders (best known for the "Long War" XCOM mod, pictured) who want to jump right into full-time game development.
They're now planning to Kickstart their first project, a strategy game currently titled Terra Invicta.