Stig Asmussen

{{Infobox person

| name = Stig Asmussen

| image =

| alt =

| caption = Asmussen in 2020

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|09|13}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = American

| other_names =

| alma_mater = The Art Institute of Pittsburgh

| employer = Midway Games (1999-2003)
Sony Computer Entertainment (2003–2014)
Respawn Entertainment (2014–2023)
Giant Skull (2024–present)

| occupation = {{Hlist|Creative director|game artist|game writer}}

| years_active = 1999–present

| notable_works = {{Hlist|God of War III|Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order|Star Wars Jedi: Survivor}}

| awards = BAFTA Best Artistic Achievement (2011)

}}

Stig Asmussen is an American video game developer best known for his work on the God of War series for Santa Monica Studio and the Star Wars Jedi series for Respawn Entertainment. Stig Asmussen founded his own new AAA video game development studio Giant Skull in 2023 September 9.

Biography

Asmussen graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 1998 with an Associate of Specialized Technology in Computer Animation Media.{{cite web |url=https://www.artinstitutes.edu/alumni/stig-asmussen/59835 |title=Alumni success stories: Stig Asmussen |website=The Art Institutes |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919030838/https://www.artinstitutes.edu/alumni/stig-asmussen/59835 |archive-date=September 19, 2016}} He is the son of Jes Asmussen, University Distinguished Professor and Executive Director of the Fraunhofer Center for Coatings and Laser Applications at Michigan State University.{{citation needed|date=December 2014}}

Throughout the God of War series, he worked as a lead environment artist, art director, and was game director of God of War III after Cory Barlog's departure.{{cite web |title= Stig Asmussen |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2660452/ |website=IMDb |language=en-US |access-date=March 28, 2010}} In 2011, Stig Asmussen won the BAFTA Best Artistic Achievement Award for his work on God of War III.{{Cite web |title=2011 Games Artistic Achievement {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=https://awards.bafta.org/award/2011/games/artistic-achievement#:~:text=2011%20Games%20Artistic%20Achievement%20Games%20%7C%20Artistic%20Achievement,Video%20Games%20Awards%20Ceremony%202011%20-%20Part%202 |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=awards.bafta.org}} In an interview in April 2012, according to David Jaffe (creator of God of War), Asmussen was "doing cool stuff" at Santa Monica, and did not work on God of War: Ascension.{{cite web |last=Moss |first=Sebastian |date=April 19, 2012 |title=Game Director Stig Asmussen "Doing Cool Stuff" at Sony Santa Monica, Not God Of War: Ascension |url=http://playstationlifestyle.net/2012/04/19/game-director-stig-asmussen-doing-cool-stuff-at-sony-santa-monica-not-god-of-war-ascension/ |website=PlayStation LifeStyle |access-date=June 2, 2012}}

In 2014, Asmussen left Santa Monica Studio. He has since joined Respawn Entertainment as a game director.{{cite magazine |last=Jarvis |first=Matthew |date=March 29, 2016 |title=Divide and conquer: the next step for Respawn |url=http://www.develop-online.net/interview/divide-and-conquer-the-next-step-for-respawn/0218469 |magazine=Develop |language=en-US |access-date=March 29, 2016}} On May 4, 2016 – Star Wars Day – Asmussen announced Respawn Entertainment was making a third-person Star Wars game.{{cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=May 4, 2016 |title=Titanfall developer Respawn is making a third-person Star Wars game |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-05-04-titanfall-developer-respawn-is-making-a-third-person-star-wars-game |work=Eurogamer |access-date=May 4, 2016}} This was announced as Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. In 2022, Stig Asmussen announced a sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.{{Cite web |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |date=2022-05-27 |title=Respawn reveals Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, its sequel to Fallen Order |url=https://www.polygon.com/23145004/star-wars-jedi-survivor-fallen-order-2-release-date-respawn |access-date=2023-04-12 |website=Polygon |language=en-US}} Asmussen left EA on September 13, 2023, five months after Star Wars Jedi: Survivor released.{{Cite news |date=2023-09-13 |title='Star Wars' Video-Game Director Stig Asmussen Leaves Electronic Arts |language=en |work=Bloomberg.com |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-09-13/electronic-arts-executive-behind-star-wars-hits-leaves-company |access-date=2023-09-13}}

Stig Asmussen announced the founding of a new independent AAA video game studio in 2024. Asmussen revealed that the studio is currently developing a new AAA single-player game built on Unreal Engine 5.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-12 |title=Star Wars: Jedi director Stig Asmussen has formed a new studio |url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/star-wars-jedi-director-stig-asmussen-has-formed-a-new-studio/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=VGC |language=en-GB}} The Giant Skull leadership team, in addition to Asmussen, consists of the following: lead producer Lauren McLemore, art director Patrick Murphy, CTO Jon Carr, design director Jeff Magers, animation director Brian Campbell, and COO/CFO Anthony Scott. Although no names were given, the press statement introducing Giant Skull stated that Rockstar, the studio behind GTA and Red Dead, had also contributed talent to the team.{{Cite web |title=Star Wars And God Of War Veteran Announces New Studio Working On AAA Unreal Engine 5 Single-Player Game |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/star-wars-and-god-of-war-veteran-announces-new-studio-working-on-aaa-unreal-engine-5-single-player-game/1100-6521780/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=GameSpot |language=en-US}}

Works

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" !scope="col"\|Year !scope="col"\|Title !scope="col"\|Director !scope="col"\|Writer !scope="col"\|Artist !scope="col"\|Notes !score:"col"\|Studio
scope=row\|1999 \|Gauntlet: Dark Legacy \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \|{{yes}} \| 3D artist \|rowspan="2"\|Midway Games
scope=row\|2002 \|Dr. Muto \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \|{{yes}} \| Lead level artist
scope=row\|2005 \|God of War \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \|{{yes}} \| Lead environment artist \| rowspan="2"\|Santa Monica Studio
scope=row\|2007 \|God of War II \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \|{{yes}} \| rowspan="2"\|Art director
scope=row\|2008 \|God of War: Chains of Olympus \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \|{{yes}} \| Ready at Dawn
scope=row\|2010 \|God of War III \|{{yes}} \|{{partial\|Add.}} \|{{no}} \| \| Santa Monica Studio
scope=row\|2011 \|Mortal Kombat \|{{partial\|Add.}} \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \| Creative director (Santa Monica Studio) \| NetherRealm Studios
scope=row\|2013 \|God of War: Ascension \|{{no}} \|{{no}} \|{{partial\|Add.}} \| Additional art support \| Santa Monica Studio
scope=row\|2019 \|Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order \|{{yes}} \|{{partial\|Story}} \|{{no}} \| rowspan="2"\|Game Director \| rowspan="2"\|Respawn Entertainment
scope=row\|2023 \| Star Wars Jedi: Survivor \|{{yes}} \|{{partial\|Story}} \|{{no}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

!scope="col"|Year

!scope="col"|Title

!scope="col"|Director

!scope="col"|Writer

!scope="col"|Artist

!scope="col"|Notes

!score:"col"|Studio

scope=row|1999

|Gauntlet: Dark Legacy

|{{no}}

|{{yes}}