Starvania Studios CEO reflects on four years of growth, Bahamut breakthrough and what comes next

• Starvania has grown from a four-person startup into a 13-member international studio in just four years.
• The team says Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree nearly did not reach completion before becoming an award-winning release.
• The studio says the MENA games industry has rapidly matured, but still lacks a strong PC and console publishing infrastructure.
• International audiences responded positively to Bahamut’s use of Arabian mythology, which the team initially feared would be too niche.

Four years ago, Starvania Studios began as a small team working through early prototypes of what would become Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree. Today, it operates as a growing studio with an award-winning title across multiple platforms and a team spanning international markets.

As the studio marks its fourth anniversary, we spoke with CEO Meaad Aflah about its early struggles, breakout success, and its approach to the next phase of growth.

PocketGamer.biz: Starvania is marking its fourth anniversary in the industry. What does this milestone mean for the team internally? 

Meaad Aflah: I am so proud of these past four years and how much we’ve achieved together. It’s heartwarming to see our growth in every area: our team, our skills, and our production pipeline. 

We once nearly lost hope of getting Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree to the finish line, and now it is an award-winning success across multiple platforms. 

Take us back to 2022. How did Starvania take shape and what were those early days like? 

We started with just four members working on a rough, early version of our beloved game, Bahamut. Back then, we went through countless iterations as we were just beginning to navigate the development pipeline for our very first commercial project. 

Looking back, that was truly the 'establishment phase' for Starvania; we weren't just making a game - we were defining our vision, mission, and culture, all while learning how to manage our timelines and budgets effectively. 

In terms of team, vision and scale, how has the studio evolved since launch? And what's an important lesson the past four years have taught you? 

From a team of 4 to 13 members worldwide. Along the way, we’ve learned that a company’s vision isn't static - it can, and should, evolve as the market and the team grow.

Most importantly, we’ve realised that scaling isn't just about increasing our headcount; true growth is measured by the evolution of our team’s mindset, skills, and collective maturity. 

How have you seen the MENA games industry change over the past four years? And looking ahead, what do you think still needs to improve over the next five years? 

In only four years, our industry has matured significantly. We’ve evolved from having no infrastructure to establishing an entire ecosystem of funding, talent development, and specialised studios. 

Although the market is still in its early stages, there is still a gap in local publishing for PC and consoles. However, the emergence of a few new publishers recently is an incredibly bright sign for what’s to come. 

Talk to us about Bahamut and the Waqwaq Tree. How has the game been received internationally outside the MENA region? And were there any surprises in how the game performed? 

Initially, we were concerned about how the global market would perceive our local mythology. To our surprise, international audiences were deeply intrigued; they were hungry for something new and unique that hadn't been oversaturated in the market. 

I believe it was a strategic masterstroke by our team to take an internationally recognised creature name and reintroduce its true Arabian origins. That connection immediately captured the audience's attention and sparked a genuine curiosity to learn more. 

Is the team planning on bringing it to more platforms? And what's something you've learned during development that you’d apply differently in future projects? 

We are currently preparing for our launch on PS5 and Xbox, and we are thrilled to announce that the official console release date is set for May 7th. 

For our upcoming projects, we are adopting a more analytical approach, conducting thorough market research and performance analysis before finalising a genre or creative direction. 

This ensures our next steps are as strategically sound as they are creatively ambitious. And our team is currently in an active R&D phase, experimenting with new market trends that align with our vision. We’ll be sharing more details on these new projects and their directions in the near future.