24 Years Creating Worlds

24 years creating worlds. Sounds quick, doesn’t it? But behind that there are thousands of days of work, countless decisions, pizzas, beers, challenges of every kind, and an enormous number of people who have contributed to building what MercurySteam is today.

Luisito —with headphones—, “Chope” —the bearded one— and Luismi —the hidden one— about 23 years ago in MercurySteam’s first office, a little house from the Republic era in the center of Madrid. No air conditioning.

During this time we’ve had the privilege of working on very different universes. We’ve explored strange planets, castles infested with vampires, nests of alien creatures, interstellar ships… We’ve collaborated with some of the industry’s biggest companies, and we’ve also pursued our own ideas and creative ambitions.

From front to back, Albert, Jose Antonio, and Darío in our second office working on “Clive Barker’s Jericho” in 2006. That table is still in the studio. So are they 😉.

Every project has left us something valuable: knowledge, friendships, scars, and reasons to keep improving. Scars, especially.

But if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed since the beginning, it’s our way of understanding this craft. We still believe video games are a unique combination of art and technology. We still believe the best experiences come from collective effort. And we still believe every new project should aim to be better than the last.

Enric and Albert taking a break during the setup of our third office in 2008, where we still are today. We’d been working on Castlevania: Lords of Shadow for just a few months.

Over these years we’ve had the fortune and privilege of bringing to life worlds and characters that have reached millions of people around the world. None of it would have been possible without the dedication of the hundreds of colleagues who have passed through the studio and the constant support of those who play our games.

The full Castlevania: Lords of Shadow team taking a photo with Hideo Kojima in 2011. The game was killing it in those days.

The industry has changed enormously since we started this adventure. The tools are different. The teams are bigger. The challenges are new. But the excitement of creating something special remains exactly the same.

From left to right, Miguel, Iñaki, Javi, Enrique, Mario, and Carlos, focused on the press presentation of Castlevania: Mirror of Fate in 2013.

Today, as we launch this new website, we wanted to take the chance to briefly look back and thank everyone who has been part of this journey. And, above all, to look forward.

Because there are still many worlds and adventures left to create and live.

Thank you for joining us these first 24 years.

From left to right, Enric, José Luís, and Miguel having a good time at an industry event in Madrid in 2024. A note for our British friends: the gesture Miguel is making is not the “two-finger salute” 😊.