Hey everyone, this is a long overdue update for the few (but devoted!) players of QUICKDRAW. I thought you all deserved to know the team's current headspace around QUICKDRAW as the studio starts to grow. To preface, Update 1.7 is still planned for release! We plan to see QUICKDRAW through to the end no matter what.
QUICKDRAW started as a college project for most of our team, born out of passion and a shared love for game development. Throughout development, we operated on an even profit split, which made sense as we balanced school with creating something we were genuinely excited about. This structure allowed us to build the game collaboratively without the pressures of a traditional studio model.
As we've grown as developers and taken on new opportunities, we've come to realize that our initial approach needed to evolve. Many team members are now involved in other projects that provide more stable and consistent compensation, which has naturally shifted our perspectives and priorities. This isn’t a bad thing — it’s just part of growing up in the industry.
Understanding this shift helped us reassess how we work on QUICKDRAW. We’ve adopted a new structure that better supports our current realities while keeping development sustainable. This means focusing on achievable milestones and making sure everyone on the team is energized to contribute. Update 1.7 is a direct result of this renewed approach, and we’re confident it will reflect our continued dedication to the game and its community.
Update 1.7 is shaping up to be one of our most ambitious updates yet. We’re adding five brand new characters, each with their own unique personalities to explore. In addition, we’re introducing character palettes, giving players four color palettes per character (color 1 of every character is their original palette) to add some extra flair to matches.
A huge quality-of-life improvement we’re excited about is the inclusion of online play with rollback netcode. We know how important smooth, responsive online matches are to the community, and rollback will make online play feel tighter and more reliable than ever. On top of that, we’re implementing explosive frame-perfect round starts, making competitive timing and precision all the more rewarding.
For a sneak peek at some of the additions, check out the images below. The first image contains two of our new characters, Moxie & Harmony. At the end of the article, you can find a second image that contains all four of Astrid's color palettes.
While we’re thrilled about what Update 1.7 brings to QUICKDRAW, we also want to be realistic about our timeline. Right now, we’re aiming for a release in the latter half of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026. We know that’s a bit of a wait, but we want to make sure the update is polished and lives up to our collective vision.
In parallel with this update, our Games branch is actively developing a new title, codenamed Project Lotus, which we plan to pitch to a certain publisher later this year. Balancing these efforts means we’re working on QUICKDRAW steadily but carefully, making sure we do justice to both projects. Rest assured, Update 1.7 is progressing, and we’re committed to delivering something special when it's ready.
What better way to send off QUICKDRAW than with another live-action trailer? We had a blast making the original announcement video, so it only felt right to close things out with one more. And this time, we’re bringing fan-favorite Astrid to life! Astrid will be played by the talented Emma DeCarlo.
Astrid's dynamic energy and signature style made her a standout in the game, and we couldn’t resist giving her a spotlight in the trailer. It’s a playful send-off that captures the heart of QUICKDRAW and everything we’ve built together.
Thank you all for your patience, support, and passion for QUICKDRAW. Your enthusiasm is what keeps us going, and we can't wait to share more as development continues.
