Cliff Bleszinski, the designer behind the iconic Gears of War series, found an unexpected path to redemption by co-producing the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hadestown after the collapse of his own game studio.
A Devastating Studio Closure
Bleszinski's studio, Boss Key Productions, shut down in 2018 following the failure of its first game, LawBreakers, and a rushed battle royale title, Radical Heights. LawBreakers, an arena first-person shooter, received positive reviews but failed to compete with Blizzard's Overwatch. "Blizzard came along and just completely stomped pretty much everyone else, including us and Gearbox's Battleborn," Bleszinski said. The studio's attempt to pivot to the battle royale genre with Radical Heights was hampered by a lack of cheat protection, allowing hackers to ruin the experience. Even a brief boost from streamer Ninja couldn't save it. "It ultimately broke me, and it made it even worse that the internet thought the entire thing was hilarious," Bleszinski recalled.
From Gaming to Broadway
After the studio's closure, Bleszinski struck up a friendship with actor Alex Boniello, who suggested he consider producing a Broadway musical. Bleszinski, a self-proclaimed drama nerd, was intrigued. He read the story of Hadestown, a blend of the myths of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, and listened to an early recording. "I was like: 'They might really have something here,'" he said. He signed on as a co-producer, using his resources and audience from game development to support the show's Broadway debut.
Parallels Between Games and Musicals
Bleszinski drew parallels between the development of video games and Broadway musicals. "It's a miracle that a video game even ships," he said. "And when you look at Broadway, they do previews – it's essentially an alpha or a beta where they modify or rearrange parts of the musical." Both forms require a harmonious blend of multiple disciplines. "It all has to come together in this perfectly synced thing," he noted.
Triumph at the Tonys
Hadestown was a critical and commercial success, standing out in a Broadway landscape dominated by movie adaptations. In April 2019, Bleszinski received a call from his former Epic boss, Mark Rein, congratulating him on the show's 14 Tony Award nominations. At the ceremony, Hadestown won eight Tonys, including Best Musical. "It felt like redemption," Bleszinski said. "I felt like Orpheus, and I didn't turn around."
