Former SWTOR executive producer to head up new Bethesda studio

After leaving BioWare Austin earlier this summer, former Star Wars: The Old Republic executive producer Rich Vogel has joined Bethesda Softworks, where he will head up a brand-new Austin-based game studio. The new company, known as Battlecry Studios, will join other Bethesda subsidiaries such as id Software, Arkane Studios, and Tango Gameworks, all of which are owned by Bethesda parent company, Zenimax Media. While Vogel's development expertise lies in creating large-scale MMOs, his studio does not appear to be linked to Zenimax Online, the studio behind the upcoming Elder Scrolls Online. Instead, Battlecry Studios is working on a new, unannounced title, though Bethesda did not offer any details on what the project will entail. Looking at Vogel's track record and Battlecry Studio's job listings, however, it's clear that the studio has a tendency toward online-focused games. Prior to working on The Old Republic, Vogel helped craft landmark MMOs such as Meridian 59, Ultima Online, and Star Wars Galaxies, and the Zenimax job boards note that Battlecry Studios is looking for developers with "a passion for online games." Vogel's studio is now the second Bethesda branch located in Austin, Texas, joining Arkane Studios, the team behind the upcoming first person action game Dishonored.