I totally get the back-and-forth—been there myself when I worked on a mid-budget action RPG last year. We actually outsourced a big chunk of our environmental assets to a studio we found through devotedstudios.com , and the experience changed my perspective completely. They didn’t just “do the job”—they matched our style guides to the pixel, kept us updated almost daily (we had shared Slack channels), and delivered on time despite timezone differences. I’m not saying outsourcing is a perfect fit for every project, but if you’re struggling with bandwidth or specialized styles (like stylized foliage or hard-surface mech models), it really opens up your options without bloating your permanent team. The key is choosing a studio that treats your project like their own—not just a gig.