Industry veterans from Naughty Dog, id Software and Activision have formed and opened a new AAA studio called Emptyvessel. In a press release, the studio is described as a place composed of world-class developers who have worked on iconic franchises including DOOM, Quake, The Last of Us, Borderlands, Tomb Raider, Uncharted and more.
Emptyvessel is led by CEO and Game Director Emanuel Palalic and General Manager Garret Young. Both served critical roles at id Software for years before venturing on their own.
Emanuel Palalic said in a statement that Emptyvessel has been created to give developers the opportunity to bring worlds to life and offer creative freedom. The studio’s small-scale team will also focus on AAA-quality games.
“Many game developers like myself began our journey fueled by the dream of one day bringing our worlds to life. By prioritizing and aligning with our strengths, we’re confident it’s possible to create AAA-quality games with smaller, focused teams. The industry has often overlooked the people who pour their hearts and souls into crafting these worlds. With emptyvessel, we’re determined to change that narrative and make that dream a reality for as many developers as we can.”
The studio confirmed that it is working on its first unannounced project that will leverage the experience of its team and is powered by Unreal Engine 5. The studio says this project is inspired by films, graphic novels and games set in dystopian sci-fi worlds.
Empyvessel has been funded by multiple private firms and individuals including Raptor Group, Bill Munk, Dan Bunting and more. These investors have spent time and money in the gaming industry already. Bill Munk, for example, is the co-owner of Tripwire Interactive. Dan Bunting is a former studio head for Treyarch.
Given the current state of the industry, it will be interesting to see where Emptyvessel ends up. Little is known about the current Unreal Engine 5 game in development apart from it being a “sci-fi game”. We know that even one “average” game can result in the closure of a studio and major job cuts. So we hope for all the best for the team.
Source: Emptyvessel
