Image via MBC Game Studio
Middle Eastern entertainment powerhouse MBC Studios has expanded into the video game industry with the launch of MBC Game Studio.
The nascent subsidiary has spent the past three years working on 1001 Threads of Mizan, an upcoming action-adventure title set within the world of One Thousand and One Nights.
MBC Studios parent company MBC Group has provided “significant” financial backing for the game studio, which is led by CEO Daniel Engelhardt and COO Trevor Williams, who have pulled together a fully-remote global development team featuring talent from BioWare, Hi-Rez Studios, Ubisoft Montreal, and Bungie.
“[Remote working] has been tremendously valuable in terms of being able to approach great people and say ‘you can stay where you are,'” said Engelhardt in a conversation with Game Developer at Gamescom 2026. “But also in terms of building a team to try and tell this story, our footprint includes folks in the Middle East with deep connections with the material.”
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Those employees have already witnessed changes in corporate ownership since work began on 1001 Threads of Mizan in 2023. In 2025, the government-owned Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) acquired a 54 percent stake in MBC Group, purchasing the shares from Istedamah Holding Company, an investment vehicle operated by the Ministry of Finance. The PIF’s contemporaneous financial moves have drawn scrutiny from industry professionals and politicians alike.
Engelhardt told Game Developer that MBC Game Studio will operate independently and is laser-focused on building a successful video game to elevate the local industry.
“We’re building a business from ground zero,” Engelhardt said when discussing the topic. “Everything that’s happening in the region from a video game point of view is interesting. It’s an extremely appealing market—it’s fast-growing and there are a lot of players.”
“The way we think about what we’re doing is ‘we’re building a business for a media company, and I think a really important part of our story is when we wake up every day, [we ask ourselves] ‘how do we build a great game that can hopefully become a franchise?’ If we hit our marks, I think we will have had an impact on the region and the ability to make games there.”
Engelhardt also confirmed MBC had ruled out leveraging generative AI technology. “It’s not that we’re categorically against [generative] AI—it’s just that as a studio we have a really strong belief that AI is only as strong as the person using it.” he added. “At the end of the day, our philosophy is really backing our creative teams to really empower our developers. We’ll evaluate as they tell us what they do and don’t want to do, but right now there is a policy against using generative AI.”
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MBC has been working on 1001 Threads of Mizan since around 2023. The title is being demoed on the show floor at Gamescom 2026, but there’s no release window currently in sight. When asked how MBC is prioritizing sustainability so it can bring the project to market and potentially birth a full-blown franchise, Engelhardt said the studio is being “mindful” about how it allocates resources so it can take a a big swing.
“I think taking a creative risk is incredibly important. And I can speak to that very passionately from what we’re doing. We wanted to the team 110 percent to go and do something that we feel is unique and different. Players will tell us if we achieve that, but [that was] our mission from the beginning. I think it’s very important as an industry that we continue to do that.”
Game Developer is attending Gamescom as a media ambassador. Flights and accommodation were covered by event organizers.
About the Authors
Senior Editor, News, GameDeveloper.com
Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton.
Senior Editor, GameDeveloper.com
Bryant Francis is a writer, journalist, and narrative designer based in Boston, MA. He currently writes for Game Developer, a leading B2B publication for the video game industry. His credits include Proxy Studios’ 4X strategy game Zephon, Iron Anchor Studios’ Down With The Ship, and Amplitude Studio’s 2017 game Endless Space 2.
