Troy Baker has voiced more iconic characters than most actors have had hot dinners. Joel in The Last of Us, Higgs in Death Stranding, the latest Indiana Jones -- the man's résumé reads like a greatest-hits album of modern gaming. Now he's decided that's not enough. In a recent Kinda Funny Gamescast interview, the prolific voice actor laid out plans to start his own studio and tell his own stories, taking his time to match the caliber of the legends he's learned from.

Baker cited inspiration from Abubakar Salim, who went from Assassin's Creed Origins to founding Surgent Studios and shipping Tales of Kenzera: Zau. Having collaborated with Ken Levine, Hideo Kojima, Neil Druckmann, Todd Howard, and Vince Zampella, Baker wants to apply those hard-won principles of storytelling and process to his own work. "I am going to take my time," he said when pressed on timelines. "I want to make sure that, when I finally do tell a story, it's one of just as high a caliber of those that I am trying to emulate."

The move comes as Baker continues racking up voice roles, including the recent Mouse: P.I. for Hire and fresh work tied to Druckmann at Naughty Dog. Community reaction on X has been a mix of hype and healthy skepticism -- plenty of "finally" and studio wish-list posts, tempered by the reality that voice talent transitioning to full development is easier said than done. No studio name, no announced project, no release window. Just the announcement that the guy who's been in everything now wants to build something.

Whether this becomes another high-caliber narrative darling or a cautionary tale about actors overreaching remains to be seen. But in an industry drowning in safe bets and live-service slop, watching one of its most recognizable voices swing for the fences is at least worth paying attention to. Happy days if you can't get enough Troy Baker, indeed.