Once upon a time in the mystical realm of video game credits, a certain Halo co-creator named Marcus Lehto found himself more disappointed than a gamer stuck in a never-ending loading screen. It turns out, neither he nor some former colleagues had their names gracing the illustrious listings of Battlefield 6’s credits. Shocking, really.
A Studio Was Born
Flashback to October 2021, when Electronic Arts decided it was high time to create a brand-new studio, headed by none other than Lehto himself. “Why not?!” someone must have thought, and thus Ridgeline Games was conceived. The mission? Focus on first-person shooters, because why play anything else?
Fast-forward to July 2022, when the studio began gearing up for the single-player campaign of a future Battlefield game, which certainly had everyone eagerly speculating. Surely this grand endeavor would lead to gold-covered accolades, right? Wrong!
Exit Stage Left
In a plot twist worthy of a soap opera, Lehto made his dramatic exit from Ridgeline Games in February 2024. “Leaving on my own accord” sounded like the quintessential line from a movie script. He hinted at needing “time away from games to figure out what, if anything, to do next.” That’s code for “I’m taking a long vacation, folks!”
Meanwhile, the day after Lehto bid adieu, EA decided to pull a fast one by closing Ridgeline Games itself. Lehto claimed this surprise development was news even to him. What a week it must have been! The remaining studio staff were then whisked away to Ripple Effect, a studio known for its multiplayer magic. Because, of course, the multiplayer scene needed some extra muscle.
Discredited Developers Unite!
Now, enter the moment everyone has been waiting for – Battlefield 6 finally hit the shelves, and Lehto took to LinkedIn like a superhero in a business suit, lamenting the omission of numerous Ridgeline team members from the game’s credits.
“I’m disappointed,” he posted, sounding more like a heartbroken player after a devastating game loss than a game director. “Many of my former teammates worked their fingers to the bone for 1 to 2.5 years developing the game’s foundation – only to be shoved down to the ‘Special Thanks’ section at the very end, like an unwanted fruitcake at a holiday party.”
Shockingly, some contributors were entirely omitted. Lehto himself could probably pass for a ghost at this point, wandering through the credits like, “Boo-hoo, where’s my name?”
A Duel of Credits
In a valiant attempt to earn the recognition that was, quite frankly, elusive, Lehto published his own list of credits for Ridgeline Games. “Look at me, I’m the captain now!” he seemed to proclaim. He shared an image detailing who should have occupied the hall of fame in the credits, drumming up recognition for his talented colleagues.
“Game development is a team effort,” he stated rather definitively, as if stating that cereal is not a soup. “Every contributor deserves fair acknowledgment.” A noble cause indeed! Perhaps the next game to come along will offer a little more appreciation for its hardworking developers. Fingers crossed!
The Battle for Popularity
For all its hiccups, Battlefield 6 managed a smashing success, selling over 7 million copies within its first three days. Not to mention, it set the record for the highest ever concurrent player count on Steam, peaking at 747,440. Take that, record-holder Apex Legends!
So, in the grand tapestry of video game history, where every pixel matters, it would certainly be nice if all players—crew members included—received a little star on their Developer Appreciation chart.
