The-Dev-Blogs
Welcome to the Dragon Chunk Studios Dev Blog! Here, we share the latest updates on the development of our cinematic survival-action project, Darkshore: The Island Protocol, along with insights into our creative process, behind-the-scenes progress, and technical milestones. Our goal is to give fans, aspiring developers, and fellow creatives a transparent view into how a small, passionate team can build AAA-quality experiences. Expect sneak peeks, design decisions, development challenges, and solutions straight from our studio.
The Dev Blogs #12
A New Year on the Island
Welcome to 2026 🐉
A new year means a fresh chapter for DARKSHORE: The Island Protocol - and we wanted to start it by sharing a small but meaningful snapshot of where development is right now.
The image below shows an early island location currently under construction — a roadside checkpoint with a guard shack, a vehicle stop barrier, and surrounding terrain. If you’re wondering why everything is glowing hot pink… that’s intentional. These are blockout assets, placeholders used to lock in scale, layout, and gameplay flow before we move into final art.
At this stage, clarity beats polish.
Right now, our focus is on in-game mechanics — how spaces are navigated, how encounters are paced, and how the world communicates danger, mystery, and story to the player. Locations like this aren’t just scenery; they’re designed to tell a story, guide player behavior, and evolve as the game progresses.
This checkpoint might feel quiet at first glance — but in DARKSHORE, nothing stays quiet for long.
As we move forward into 2026, we have a lot planned. Our goal is simple: stay focused, keep building, and continue pushing DARKSHORE toward a complete and compelling experience. Every system we refine and every environment we block out brings us one step closer to the island feeling truly alive — and hostile in all the right ways.
Thank you for following along, whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just discovered the project. There’s much more to come, and we’re excited to share it with you as development continues.
See you on the island.
— Dragon Chunk Studios
Early environment blockout — assets shown are placeholders and still in development.
The Dev Blogs #11 — December 2025
As we head into the holiday season, the team at Dragon Chunk Studios has been deep in creation mode. Our artists have been crafting new in-game assets — everything from props to creature details — and the island is becoming richer and stranger with every update.
Even though the holidays are right around the corner, the crew has kept the momentum rolling. It’s been a year of building, experimenting, designing, and shaping this world… and we’re excited to say that 2026 is going to be a big one for Darkshore: The Island Protocol.
As we wrap up the year, we want to send a huge thank you to everyone following our journey.
Your support means the world to a small studio doing something big.
From all of us at Dragon Chunk Studios:
Enjoy the holidays, stay safe, and have an amazing New Year.
See you in 2026!
The Dev Blogs #10
November 2025
The team has been quietly pushing forward these past few weeks. Our in-game assets are taking shape, and we have some incredible artists bringing the world of Darkshore: The Island Protocol to life.
This shot below shows one of the latest pieces in progress — a detailed hand model being sculpted for use in-game. Every small detail adds to the realism we’re striving for.
While we can’t share everything that’s happening behind the scenes just yet, progress is steady, and the island is beginning to feel alive in ways we’ve only imagined until now.
More updates will come soon — including a deeper look into the environments, characters, and the strange phenomena surrounding Darkshore.
Stay tuned, and as always…
Keep your eyes on the shore.
The Dev Blogs #9
Hey everyone,
This week the team’s been deep in the thick of island development — refining environments, tightening creature AI behavior, and polishing some of the key props that bring Darkshore: The Island Protocol to life.
We’ve been focusing on how the island itself feels alive — from shifting light through the canopy to the sound of something moving just past the treeline. Every rock, wire, and tool tells a story here.
Below is a look at one of our assets currently in progress — a small piece of the puzzle that will soon help shape your survival experience on the island.
Stay tuned for more transmission logs, and thank you all for continuing to support the journey into the Bermuda Triangle.
Stay safe out there,
— The Dragon Chunk Studios Team
#Darkshore #GameDev #IndieGame #SurvivalHorror #UnrealEngine5
The Dev Blogs #8
Hello fans!
Big news — Darkshore: The Island Protocol has officially been submitted to the Epic MegaGrants program! It’s a huge milestone for us and marks the first time we’re putting our project out for major external funding support. If all goes well, we hope to hear back by December.
In the meantime, our team’s been tightening up the demo build — polishing the crash site environment, refining creature animations, and continuing to expand on Chuck’s survival systems. We’ve also started working on new audio logs and a few internal cinematic tests that are shaping up beautifully.
Next up: we’re preparing for a Kickstarter launch, once we have a playable demo ready to showcase. It’ll be our chance to bring the Darkshore community into development directly — and reward early supporters with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, art, and early access opportunities.
As always, thank you for following along this journey. Every bit of support helps push this dream forward.
Stay tuned for more updates — and remember, even in the dark, there’s always a signal.
Christopher Hirtz
Creative Director
The Dev Blogs Entry #7
Sept 28, 2025
Hey everyone,
Big update this week — our very first character designs and audio lines for Chuck Grassley just landed, and honestly? They look so good. Seeing Chuck come to life outside of our heads and into actual art + voice has us all buzzing.
For anyone new here, Chuck is the main character you’ll be playing in Darkshore: The Island Protocol. He’s not your typical action hero — he’s the guy who has to step up when everything goes to hell. He’s gritty, stubborn, and the kind of survivor who doesn’t give up, even when the island itself seems out to break him. Hearing his first audio lines gave us chills. It’s one thing to write a character — it’s another to hear him breathe, whisper, shout, and fight through the chaos.
We’ve also been sketching out some really cool environmental beats for the opening crash sequence. Lots of fire, wreckage, and (no spoilers but…) something very big waiting in the shadows. Let’s just say Chuck’s going to have his hands full right from the jump.
On top of that, we’ve been experimenting with something special for our website — random audio clips that play like intercepted radio signals. So when you visit, you might catch Chuck or something else breaking through the static. It’s a little eerie, a little fun, and totally in the vibe of Darkshore.
The team’s energy right now is insane. Every piece that comes in — from concept art to VO — makes this whole thing feel more real. It’s wild to think this project started as notes and late-night brainstorms, and now we’re watching Chuck Grassley step out of the Bermuda Triangle and into the world.
Thanks for hanging with us through these early updates. Demo slice is still cooking, but trust me: the island is worth the wait.
Catch you next update,
— Dragon Chunk Studios 🐉
Dev Blog Entry #6
August 26, 2025 – Progress Update
We’re continuing work on Darkshore: The Island Protocol and making steady progress behind the scenes. Our current focus is on securing funding through grants and potential sponsors to support development. While there are no new gameplay updates to share at this moment, the team is committed to building the foundation for a high-quality, cinematic experience and will provide more detailed updates as development advances.
Dev Blog Entry #5
July 22, 2025
We’re thrilled to announce a major step forward in the development of Darkshore: The Island Protocol. Our new Unreal Engine 5.6 C++ project is officially live and marks the true beginning of production on the game’s playable demo. After months of planning, writing, and worldbuilding, we’re now shifting into full gear with a growing team of talented developers.
This new C++ foundation unlocks the power and flexibility we need to deliver the cinematic, story-rich survival horror experience at the heart of Darkshore. With it, we can now build advanced gameplay systems, immersive UI, custom mechanics, and the unique mutation and survival features the game is known for.
What’s Next:
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Our engineers are actively building systems for player input, UI prompts, and world interactions.
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Environmental and 3D artists are working in parallel to create the haunting, fog-drenched landscapes of the Bermuda Triangle setting.
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Voice actors are about to start preparing the first in-game audio logs .
Our team is also preparing grant applications and funding pitches to support full-time development into 2026, and we’ll be sharing more details (and some in-progress footage) in the coming weeks.
Thanks for following along — and stay tuned. Things are about to get weird on the island.
—
Christopher Hirtz
Creative Director, Dragon Chunk Studios
Dev Blog Entry #4
We’re excited to share that Darkshore: The Island Protocol was recently featured in the USC Computer Science newsletter, and the response has been incredible. We’ve received several applications from students and recent graduates interested in contributing to the project — and we’re still actively reviewing submissions.
To help us bring this demo to life, Dragon Chunk Studios is actively recruiting collaborators across several roles.
Open Roles – July 2025
We’re seeking passionate individuals looking to gain hands-on experience with indie game development. Ideal candidates will have a collaborative mindset, strong communication skills, and a working familiarity with Unreal Engine 5 or game design tools.
Current Opportunities:
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Gameplay Programmer (UE5 – Blueprints or C++)
Help build survival mechanics, triggers, UI functions, and basic systems logic. -
UI/UX Designer
Assist in designing interface layouts for our walkie-talkie system, health display, and player inventory interactions. -
Environmental Artist (Stylized)
Work on modular assets for the island (rocks, foliage, terrain pieces), with a focus on building immersive, cinematic environments. -
Sound Designer / Composer
Develop early ambient audio, radio FX, and music cues for a mysterious island setting. -
3D Modeler (Stylized / Semi-Realistic Assets)
Create game-ready props, set pieces, and environmental assets for use in Unreal Engine 5.
About the Project
Darkshore: The Island Protocol is a narrative-driven survival horror game set in the present-day Bermuda Triangle, built in Unreal Engine 5. Players explore an eerie, isolated island while piecing together a disturbing mystery hidden in audio logs, walkie-talkie chatter, and military remnants.
About Compensation
These positions are unpaid during the demo phase. However, contributors will receive:
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Credit and portfolio use – Full permission to showcase your contributions
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Priority consideration – First look at any future paid roles as funding becomes available
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Backend revenue share
How to Apply
Interested? We'd love to hear from you.
Email us at Jobs@dragonchunkstudios.com with:
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Your resume
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A link to your portfolio or recent work
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A short note about what role you’re interested in
We’ll reply to each application as soon as we can.
Thanks again to the USC community for sharing our story — and to everyone who’s reached out so far. We’re excited to keep building momentum, and we hope to connect with more passionate developers, artists, and storytellers as we move forward.
— The Dragon Chunk Studios Team
Dev Blog Entry #3:
A Name in the Dark
Hey survivors,
The island has a name now.
Darkshore.
And we’re building the world one piece at a time.
While the creatures still lurk in concept art and the storms are just whispers in the script, behind the scenes, we’ve been laying the groundwork:
🌐 Our website is live.
📣 Marketing wheels are turning.
🐉 Chunky is loose on social media. (We regret nothing.)
🪨 And yes — we’ve started crafting the very first assets. Rocks. Glorious, moody, haunted rocks.
This is a long road, but the compass is finally pointing forward. Thanks for sticking with us as we set the stage for something truly strange.
The leaks start soon. Until then...
Keep your radio on.
— The Dragon Chunk Dev Team
#Darkshore #DevCorner #IndieGameDev
Dev Blog Entry #2 :
Where It All Crashed
Hey survivors,
While Chunky’s out chasing sky-whales and ancient monsters, we’ve been hard at work on the opening slice of our game — and it's starting to breathe.
Our focus this week? Building Assets.
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We’ve greyboxed our first location.
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Storyboards and the script seem on point.
Thanks for following along — the storm’s just getting started.
— The Dragon Chunk Dev Team
#DevCorner #IndieGameDev
Sunrise and Pancakes
Dev Blog Entry #1:
Welcome to the Chunk
Posted by: C.H.
Date: June, 10 2025
Hi everyone — welcome to the official development blog for Dragon Chunk Studios.
This is where we pull back the curtain on our first game: an original, cinematic survival adventure.
This game is more than a project — it’s a chance to create something meaningful with a community of creators, storytellers, and weirdos (the fun kind). If you’re here early, thank you.
"Every good story starts with a dreamer."
— Chris
Founder, Dragon Chunk Studios