The announcement from Blank Game Studios is one of the most significant happenings of the past week. This prominence is due to two reasons. The first is that the founding group comprises entirely of ex-CD Projekt RED employees. The second relates to the team’s vision for their new venture. Having worked on expansive open-world games, including Cyberpunk 2077, the team now aspires to embark on a novel venture. For this fresh beginning, the name ‘Blank’ seems an apt choice indeed.
Before delving into the details of the new studio, it’s worth remembering that developers who’ve departed CD Projekt RED have previously established different studios. Therefore, Blank is not entirely novel in this context. Former employees had earlier set up two different studios, Rebel Wolves and Dark Passenger. If you’re all set, we can get stuck in and explore all the finer details without further ado.
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Meet Blank Game Studios
You might recall the tremendous disappointment Cyberpunk 2077 was at its launch. Its performance, particularly on previous generation devices, was nothing short of a catastrophe. Despite the game now being in fine form due to updates over the intervening years, those were grim days for both gamers and developers alike.
This exhaustion must have impacted the team members, as CD Projekt RED saw an avalanche of resignations. Some developers pursued their individual paths, whilst others coalesced into new studios as mini-teams. The most recent of these is Blank Game Studios, which was assembled under the leadership of Mateusz Kanik.
Kicking off with four co-founders, Blank’s team boasts individuals with a rich 15 years of experience spanning from The Witcher to Cyberpunk 2077. The team’s priority is to develop a new project fuelled by their own passion. They describe their new game on their website as: “Currently, we are working on a character-driven narrative from an apocalypse – with a twist or two.”
The real point of intrigue is where they express their objective is not to churn out colossal open-world games. They’re aiming for simplicity, minimalism, emotion, and quality, with a stronger focus on character and narrative. Isn’t that wonderful?
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Rebel Wolves and Dark Passenger
The two preceding studios, established by teams that parted ways with CD Projekt RED, are still diligently developing their own games. Founded in 2022, Rebel Wolves are currently engaged in the creation of an AAA narrative-driven RPG, slated for release on PC and next-gen consoles. While details on the game are sparse, the team assures that the expectations will be met.
Dark Passenger has a project is somewhat of a departure, particularly when you consider the team’s heritage in single-player games. Indeed, their new project is a purely online multiplayer and cooperative game, set in Feudal Japan. The game, being developed with Unreal Engine 5, promises to offer both PVE and PVP experiences.
To put it briefly – each one of the new studios established by the erstwhile CD Projekt RED teams are busily engaged with some rather intriguing projects. We were notably enthused when Blank Game Studios announced their intent to pursue a more minimalist and quality-focused approach. We’ll be keeping a close watch on these upcoming games, and we’ll share with you any fresh developments as they occur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who Owns CD Projekt RED?
CD Projekt RED is an independent game studio. It’s not held by a colossal brand like Tencent or Microsoft. The studio’s initial founders still possess shares, but the lion’s share is held by other investors. Thus, it can be considered somewhat akin to a publicly listed company. This circumstance allows the studio to remain impartial towards all platforms and brands. In current times, that’s quite a luxury for a game developer.
Is The Witcher 4 Coming?
Yes, The Witcher 4 is officially under development. CD Projekt RED declared in an announcement that the game, known by the code name The Witcher Polaris, will mark the beginning of an all-new AAA series. We anticipate that Geralt of Rivia won’t be the central character, but we’ll remain within the same universe. At present, no trailers or screenshots have been released for the game.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 Worth It in 2023?
Yes, Cyberpunk 2077 is a decent game in 2023. Particularly if you have the opportunity to experience it on a high-end PC, you’ll come across a game that’s impressive from a technical standpoint. Some issues still persist on previous generation consoles, but with regards to Cyberpunk 2077, including the forthcoming Phantom Liberty expansion pack, things are moving in the right direction.
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