Avalanche Co-Founder Reveals Crimson Desert Development Began in Late 2000s

Avalanche Studios, the developer best known for the Just Cause series, was developing a dark fantasy open-world RPG in the late 2000s that shared significant mechanical ambitions with the modern title Crimson Desert. The project, titled AionGuard, was eventually canceled after its backing publisher withdrew support.

Christofer Sundberg, the co-founder and former chief creative officer of Avalanche, detailed the project’s scope and its eventual demise in a recent conversation with PC Gamer. According to Sundberg, the plans for AionGuard encompassed the same elements seen in Crimson Desert, though the game was being developed decades earlier.

The Design and Mechanics of AionGuard

AionGuard was envisioned as a sprawling open-world experience where players controlled a sorcerer-knight. The gameplay involved cleansing the land of evil and featured high-fantasy elements, including the ability to ride dragons and transform into a giant golem.

The project integrated the specific design philosophy found in the Just Cause series. Rather than a traditional RPG structure, AionGuard utilized a region liberation gameplay loop, where progress in the campaign against dark forces was achieved by conquering strongholds and liberating specific territories.

Sundberg noted that while not every element of AionGuard appears in Crimson Desert, the two games share a similar level of raw ambition and general conceptual goals regarding the scale of their open worlds.

Publisher Withdrawal and Cancellation

The development of AionGuard was supported by a major publisher known for possessing numerous famous intellectual properties. However, the partnership ended abruptly when the publisher shifted its business strategy to prioritize existing IPs over the creation of new ones.

They broke up with us on a text message, which I will never forgive them for.

Christofer Sundberg

Martin Alltimes, a former employee of Disney Interactive, confirmed in 2024 to Time Extension that Disney Interactive was the company that had originally backed AionGuard. This withdrawal of funding was further influenced by a change in leadership at the publisher, where a new CEO reportedly wanted to move away from supporting darker franchises.

Following the loss of their primary benefactor, Avalanche attempted to save the project by announcing the game independently. This move proved counterproductive; Sundberg stated that other publishers refused to provide support because the game had already been announced, effectively closing the door on further funding opportunities despite the fact that the game was already functional.

Industry Context and Legacy

The revelation of AionGuard highlights a pattern of cancellations at Avalanche Studios, which has seen multiple titles, including Contraband, canceled across various publishers over the years.

The comparison to Crimson Desert comes at a time when that title is facing its own challenges. Reports from March 21, 2026, indicate that anonymous developers from Crimson Desert have described the game’s development as plagued by issues, resulting in a hodgepodge of features and a story that was not finalized until shortly before the game’s release.

AionGuard had previously gained some visibility, including a significant reveal in Edge Magazine in 2009, before it became a forgotten title in the studio’s history. The project remains a notable example of early attempts to merge large-scale region liberation mechanics with high-fantasy RPG elements.