A Phoenix from the Ashes: TUSK Interactive offers news of a new developer formed by former DICE Canada lead designer Armando “Aj” Marini:

London, Ontario, Canada. October 4, 2007

A year after the demise of DICE Canada through the purchase of DICE by Electronic Arts, comes news of a new development studio headed up by former DICE Canada lead designer Armando “Aj” Marini.

Other than the name, TUSK Interactive, little is known of the studio at this time. It’s a safe bet that given Marini’s track record in multiplayer online shooters, the new studio may have something on the go in that genre. A recent job posting on Gamasutra revealed that the studio is searching for a technical director.

If you’ll recall, DICE New York, formerly known as Trauma Studio was closed down several years ago. The creators of Desert Combat resurfaced as Kaos Studios with their game Frontlines: Fuel of War. Could the emergence of TUSK Interactive signal the appearance of another contender to the crown of best online multiplayer shooter? Having been so involved with the Battlefield franchise for so long, could TUSK hold the magic formula to create the ultimate OMFPS? Time will tell.