Ukrainian studio Frogwares has promised it will “keep working around the chaos” of the Russian invasion to deliver Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened.
Frogwares is currently working on Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, a reimagined take on the 2006 game of the same name. The remake is set to feature a new third-person perspective, new investigation mechanics, new side quests, plus new art assets, animations, voice work and cutscenes, with the narrative twisted to act as a continuation of Frogmores’ young Sherlock arc, which began with 2021’s Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One.
Back in May, the Ukrainian-based studio announced it would be continuing work despite the Russian invasion, with CEO Wael Amr explaining that “nobody on the team is expected to work, only those who can and want to. Some on the team have become full-time volunteers in the humanitarian efforts around the country. Others have joined the defence forces.“
In a new Twitter thread, one member of Frogwares staff has detailed how “difficult” the last few months have been in Ukraine.
Been told I can speak openly about this. The last couple of months have been quite difficult on our team here in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/lAoUlnEkFp
— Frogwares (@Frogwares) December 22, 2022
“After a summer of relative ‘calm’ and the ability to create some sort of routine, the wave of missile and suicide drone strikes that started in October have taken quite a toll on us mentally. Each morning, you wake up hoping it will be another normal-ish day. Instead you need be prepared to be greeted by explosions at any moment,” reads the thread.
“When it happens, you gather your family and pets and go huddle in basements, shelters or bathrooms. Surrounded by a sea of air raid sirens, anti-aircraft fire, and missile blasts, all you can do is sit there, wondering if this is your time.”
When it happens, you gather your family and pets and go huddle in basements, shelters or bathrooms. Surrounded by a sea of air raid sirens, anti-aircraft fire, and missile blasts, all you can do is sit there, wondering if this is your time. pic.twitter.com/UuhIgYIuh4
— Frogwares (@Frogwares) December 22, 2022
“Some raids last minutes. Others hours. It’s hard to really tell sometimes because in reality it feels like they will never end. But they eventually do stop,” said the Frogwares developer, who went on to say that in the aftermath, they “go about checking the news, the team Discord channels and your messaging apps to see where was hit and if anyone you might know could be one of the casualties that day.”
The studio went on to call the Russians “useless cowards who have run out of ideas how else to win a war [so] they resort to trying to demoralise, freeze and starve ordinary people.”
Useless cowards who have run out of ideas how else to win a war they started so they resort to trying to demoralize, freeze and starve ordinary people. pic.twitter.com/Q0DSCsINqJ
— Frogwares (@Frogwares) December 22, 2022
“This isn’t us giving up though. If anything, it reminds us why we need to keep resisting, keep fighting and never consider negotiating because we know what we are fighting for,” said Frogwares. “So we’ll keep gritting our teeth. Keep working around the chaos. Keep supporting our troops. And sure as hell keep celebrating each victory.”
Frogwares finish by thanking “everyone who has been with us through in some way this horrid time. We hope you all have a good holiday break and we’ll see you all soon in 2023.”
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is currently aiming to release on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch in 2023. You can see the first gameplay trailer here.
In other news, Hideo Kojima has compared the COVID-19 pandemic to the September 11 terrorist attacks, saying “fiction changes when something big happens”.
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