Saudi reveals first AAA game, 1001 Threads of Mizan

Image via MBC Game Studio

Saudi Arabia's growing ambitions in the global gaming industry have taken another major step forward with the reveal of 1001 Threads of Mizan, a large-scale action-adventure from MBC Game Studio that brings Arab folklore and storytelling into the AAA gaming space.

Backed by MBC Group, the Saudi media and entertainment company headquartered in Riyadh, MBC Game Studio is developing the title as its first original game. The project represents a notable shift in the Kingdom's gaming ambitions, moving beyond investment in international publishers and studios towards creating major original intellectual property with roots in the region.

Revealed at Gamescom Opening Night Live, 1001 Threads of Mizan draws inspiration from the folklore and storytelling traditions associated with One Thousand and One Nights. Rather than adapting an existing tale, the developers have created an original fantasy world populated by humans and jinn, with Shahrazad playing a central role in the story.

Players follow three heroes, Yusra, Malik and Sufyan, who are recruited to confront a vengeful jinn king threatening humanity. The game combines ground exploration with flying-carpet traversal and aerial combat, including battles against colossal jinn.

1001 Threads of Mizan can be played alone or cooperatively with up to three players. Cooperative mechanics extend beyond combat, with enemies, puzzles and side quests designed to encourage players to coordinate with one another.

The project is being led by MBC Game Studio CEO Daniel Engelhardt and COO Trevor Williams, who have assembled an international development team with experience across major studios including BioWare, Ubisoft Montréal, Bungie and Hi-Rez. That pedigree adds weight to MBC's ambitions for 1001 Threads of Mizan, positioning it as a major Saudi-backed production designed to compete for a global audience.

The scale of the project is particularly significant for Saudi Arabia's gaming sector. It signals an effort to build a major game from within the region, combining international development experience with a world and narrative heavily influenced by Arab culture and folklore.

The project also arrives as Saudi Arabia continues to invest heavily in gaming and esports as part of a broader effort to develop the sector into a major entertainment industry. With 1001 Threads of Mizan, that ambition is increasingly extending into the creation of original games that can take regional stories and cultural influences to players worldwide.

1001 Threads of Mizan is currently in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. Cross-platform play is also planned across most supported platforms. A release date has not yet been announced.

More information is available through the official 1001 Threads of Mizan website.