Studio #
Who we are #
Cyanide is a video game development studio based in Nanterre, near Paris. Founded in 2000 by 7 former Ubisoft employees, it has grown over the years into one of the most prolific and recognized game studios in France, now a subsidiary of the Nacon group.
Cyanide is best known for its flagship Pro Cycling Manager series, but the studio also creates games drawn from a wide variety of universes. Notable releases include the stealth saga Styx, Game of Thrones RPG, Call of Cthulhu, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood, as well as renowned adaptations of Games Workshop's universe, Blood Bowl and Space Hulk.
Over 25 years after its inception, the studio continues to innovate and develop its major franchises, notably its sports simulations with Pro Cycling Manager on PC and Tour de France on consoles.
Cyanide’s original sporting bent was sparked by the athletic passion of its founders. But behind sports management lies a dedicated team of passionate gamers. Diverse titles such as « Loki » (Action/RPG, 2007), « Blood Bowl » (Sports/Fantasy/Tactics), and « Dungeon Party » (MMOG) have consistently showcased the studio's creative and technical versatility.
Key dates #
July 2001: Release of the first Cycling Manager. Since then, a new iteration is released every year, renamed Pro Cycling Manager (PCM) in 2005.
2007: Opening of a studio in Montreal (Rogue Factor).
October 2007: Release of the studio's first major role-playing game, Loki, a mythological action-RPG.
In 2009: Cyanide secured the video game adaptation rights to George R. R. Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” series, resulting in a tactical strategy game on PC (2011) and an RPG on PC and consoles (2012).
October 2012: Collaboration with Spiders studio to release Of Orcs and Men.
In 2013: Cyanide began self-publishing selected titles, including “Aarklash: Legacy” (tactical/RPG), based on an IP acquired in 2010.
Cyanide is a laureate of the PM’UP 2014 scheme: Cyanide is a partner of the Voice4Games program, co-funded by the European Union. Europe is committed to Île-de-France through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF 2007-2013).
October 2014: Release of Styx: Master of Shadows, a stealth game acclaimed by players and a prequel to Of Orcs and Men. Its sequel, Styx: Shards of Darkness, followed in 2017.
In 2015: Cyanide founded a subsidiary in Bordeaux called Big Bad Wolf Studio, which released the episodic narrative game The Council in 2018.
October 2018: Release of Call of Cthulhu, inspired by H. P. Lovecraft, alongside Space Hulk: Tactics.
May 2018: French publisher Bigben Interactive (now Nacon) acquired Cyanide, bringing together more than 150 talents across its studios.
In 2021: Release of Rogue Lords and Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood, alongside the 2021 editions of PCM and Tour de France.
May 2022: Release of Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong by Big Bad Wolf Studio.
February 2023: Release of Blood Bowl 3 and Chef Life: A Restaurant Simulator.
2025 - 2026: Releases of Styx: Blades of Greed by Cyanide and Call of Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss by Big Bad Wolf Studio, alongside the 2026 editions of Tour de France and Pro Cycling Manager.
Upcoming: Continued collaboration with Games Workshop with the announcement of the new Warhammer Blood Bowl, published by Slitherine and Dracula: The Disciple a first-person "puzzlevania" with Nacon.
It's also #
Through its Parisian base and partner studios:
- More than 100 passionate game makers in Paris and worldwide,
- More than 25 years of game development history and expertise,
- More than 50 games released since the studio's creation (Pro Cycling Manager, Tour de France, Blood Bowl, Space Hulk, Styx, Call of Cthulhu…),
- More than 10 platforms supported: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile...
Professional equality is an integral part of Cyanide's core values
Cyanide is committed to ensuring equal rights and opportunities for all its team members. Every employee and applicant receives equal treatment without discrimination.
Professional diversity is a strength, both socially and economically, and is a vital pillar in the studio's ongoing growth and evolution.
Read the explanatory notice published by the French Ministry of Labour regarding the Gender Equality Index.
