#67 - Alexandre Amancio: Why Small Game Teams Are Starting To Beat AAA Studios

AAA games are getting too big, and it’s breaking the industry.

In this episode, game director Alexandre Amancio (Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry) breaks down why massive teams, bloated scope, and risk-averse design are hurting modern game development, and why smaller, focused teams may be the future.

We dive into building high-performance game teams, creating new IPs, community-first development, the hidden cost of AAA production, remote vs in-person culture, and how Alexandre is applying these lessons to his new horror game, Nightholme.

If you care about game design, indie studios, AAA development, leadership, AI in gaming, or the future of the industry, this episode is packed with hard-earned insights from 20+ years in games.

Connect with Alex:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandre-amancio-2250b42/
Nightholme: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4108680/Nightholme/
Website: https://www.studioellipsis.com/

Connect with Harry:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hphokou/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hphokou
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hphokou/

Join our industry events: https://hivemind.world/

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Timestamps
00:00 Intro
02:15 Why the games industry is at a crossroads
03:08 Alexandre’s new horror game: Nightholme
04:10 What’s broken in AAA game development
08:26 Why now is still a great time to make games
09:40 How explosive industry growth weakened teams
10:55 Building a studio differently from day one
12:58 Over-specialization is killing creativity
14:34 Why small teams are winning again
15:27 The biggest mistake new studios make
17:51 Why shipping together builds elite teams
19:24 Far Cry 2 and the power of underdog teams
23:18 Passion vs commercial reality in game development
26:10 Why hybrid teams work best
30:49 The Assassin’s Creed “three circles” framework
36:22 How to prioritize game features correctly
37:38 Designing NightHome’s core fantasy and mythology
40:59 Why new IP creation is brutally difficult
44:42 Why so many ambitious game projects fail
49:42 Community-first game development explained
54:50 Responding to community criticism the right way
56:15 NightHome closed beta and future plans
57:01 Building a real game community on Discord
58:46 Premium games, live content, and post-launch plans
1:00:45 Designing games for streamers and viral moments
1:03:40 Alexandre’s advice for game developers
1:05:10 Wishlist NightHome and join the community