From Maralinga to X300: An Update on Our Project Direction

It began with a mini-series called Operation Buffalo, which first sparked our interest.

That was an exciting time. Over more than a year, we gathered information, had discussions with many people, and immersed ourselves in the story of Maralinga. Along the way, we learned a great deal about the 1950s with its history, its tensions, and the lasting impact of decisions made during that era. What began as research quickly became a deep respect for the land and the people connected to it.

For that reason, our original intention was to create a historically grounded game based on the Maralinga nuclear test site, developed respectfully and in collaboration with the Maralinga Tjarutja people. We made initial enquiries, had positive discussions, and were grateful for the opportunity to visit, meet, and speak with community members about what such a collaboration could involve.

As planning progressed, it became clear that telling a real-world story responsibly requires proper permissions, ongoing consultation, and formal consent for the use of archival documents etc, this was a big task.

Due to the remoteness of the community and the challenges of maintaining consistent communication, securing those approvals proved difficult. Rather than risk moving ahead without the right foundations, we chose to step back from the historically grounded version of the project.

Instead, we decided to move forward with a fully fictional game which would allow us to begin development in earnest while respecting real history, real places, and real people. For this reason, we also felt it would not be appropriate to continue using the Maralinga name for a fictional experience, it deserves it own true narrative.

As a result, the project has been reimagined as X300.

X300 official outback survival horror game logo image

The Maralinga concept remains close to our hearts, and we would very much like to revisit collaborations in the future after X300 has been released.

For now, we’re excited to officially begin work on X300. We’re also pleased to share that we are continuing to work with First Nations people on the project in a more general capacity. We have been in discussions with Aboriginal artists through the Solid Lines agency in Melbourne, with the aim of including cultural content in the game in a respectful and meaningful way. Keep watching for more news on how we plan to do that and thankyou for following on this incredible journey.