MBC Group has used Gamescom to reveal MBC Game Studio, a new developer and publisher whose first project is 1001 Threads of Mizan. The Saudi-backed media group is entering games with a 1-3 player co-op action-adventure inspired by One Thousand and One Nights and wider Arabian folklore. The announcement gives players a clear outline of the game and its platforms, but it is less definite about the commercial questions that will decide its reach: there is no release date, no price and no confirmed detail on post-launch plans.
A studio revealed with its first game
MBC's announcement describes 1001 Threads of Mizan as a game built around exploration, large-scale combat, ground and aerial movement, and drop-in, drop-out co-op for up to three players. Its official site lists PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2 and the Epic Games Store. That is an unusually broad platform commitment for a newly unveiled studio's first public project. It should make the game easier to find for players across current console and PC storefronts, but a platform listing is not the same thing as a launch schedule or a promise of simultaneous performance parity.
The reveal matters beyond one forthcoming game because MBC Game Studio says it intends to develop and publish original first- and third-party titles. That would place it in both halves of a business usually divided between teams that make games and companies that finance, market and distribute them. The first title is the only announced project, so there is no evidence yet of how large that publishing operation will become or what kinds of external games it might sign. For now, the practical claim is narrower: MBC has established a game business around one original project rather than buying an existing publisher with a release pipeline.
What the backing changes
MBC Group is not a conventional games specialist moving from one franchise to another. It is a major Middle Eastern media company, and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund completed its acquisition of a 54% stake in the group in September 2025. The fund said at the time that the transaction formed part of its strategy to grow Saudi media and entertainment sectors. That makes MBC Game Studio part of a wider, state-backed effort to build entertainment production capacity. It does not, on its own, tell players how the game will be designed, priced or supported.
The ownership context also deserves precision. The game studio presents itself as a global business backed by MBC Group, not as a PIF studio directly. Yet MBC's majority owner creates an unmistakable connection to Saudi public investment, which has made other games investments and partnerships a subject of industry debate. Players and developers can recognise that financial context without assuming it settles every creative or employment question inside the studio. The relevant test will be what MBC Game Studio actually funds, publishes and discloses once its first game approaches release.
A global team, but a project still to prove
Game Developer reported that the studio has been working on Mizan for about three years and has recruited a fully remote team with staff whose previous employers include BioWare, Hi-Rez Studios, Ubisoft Montreal and Bungie. The report also identified Daniel Engelhardt as chief executive and Trevor Williams as chief operating officer. Those hires give the project experienced development backgrounds, but they are not a guarantee of a finished game's quality or of a sustainable studio. New teams still have to turn a public reveal into a production, a release and ongoing work for the people making it.
For developers, a well-funded new publisher can mean fresh roles and another route to bring an original project to market at a time when financing remains selective. MBC Game Studio's public materials describe roots in Riyadh and London, while the independent reporting describes a remote team spread more widely. That model can widen the available talent pool and bring regional knowledge into a game based on regional folklore. It can also make the usual challenges of coordination, hiring and long-term team stability harder for outsiders to assess. The announcement does not disclose headcount, budget or the project's current production stage.
The player proposition remains early
Mizan's official description suggests a co-operative action game where a flying carpet is central to traversal and players confront oversized jinn in a fantasy world. That is enough to establish an appealing visual and mechanical premise, especially for players who want an Arabian-fantasy setting from a studio presenting itself as connected to the region. It is not enough to judge combat depth, accessibility, online reliability or the relationship between solo and co-op play. The announcement also does not specify whether the game will be sold as a premium release, use in-game purchases, or receive expansions.
For now, the useful conclusion is neither that MBC's money will ensure a hit nor that a new Saudi-backed studio is defined only by its ownership. The company has made a tangible entry into games with a named, multiplatform project and a stated intention to publish more. Players have a project to watch, and developers have another would-be publisher in a constrained market. The next meaningful update needs to explain the game's release model, date and production progress. Until then, 1001 Threads of Mizan is a promising announcement, not evidence that MBC Game Studio has yet built a durable games business.
