In the late 1990s three college students (Shaun Mahar, Gregg Schwartz, and Raffi Tasci) created "Ophidian 2350". The team spent 5 years developing the game before bringing it to market. The team signed with Fleer Entertainment to print and publish their game. They worked with some local playtesters and game designers to refine the game, adding mechanics like "Cheer" and "Reinforcement Gladiators." They built a “Lore” around the game and Fleer hired a professional writer to develop story content around that lore. Fleer created a tournament structure and developed special rules and prize support for the game. Fleer showcased the game at game conventions such as “Origins” and "Gen Con" and incorporated fan support into their web presence.