A team of veteran developers from various studios has established emptyvessel, a new “independent AAA games studio” focused on high-quality and meaningful games.
The Austin, Texas headquartered studio is made up of staff from various franchises like: DOOM, Quake, Call of Duty, Last of Us, Borderlands, Tomb Raider, Uncharted, Callisto Protocol, and more. Though based on Texas they are full remote with staff around the world.
Their first project, though unannounced and details are scant, will take on the “immersive shooter space” and will be built entirely in Unreal Engine 5. DOOM composer Mick Gordon will provide soundscapes for the studio, and their first project.
emptyvessel is led by CEO and Game Director, Emanuel Palalic alongside COO and General Manager, Garrett Young. Both company bosses held critical roles at id Software and are joined by CTO Wei Ning, Art Director Alex Palma, Animation Director Rico Flores, and more.
“Many game developers like myself began our journey fueled by the dream of one day bringing our worlds to life,” said Emanuel Palalic, CEO and Game Director, emptyvessel in a press release. “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.”
COO and General Manager at emptyvessel Garrett Young added, “Our industry is at a crossroads between business and talent. At emptyvessel, we take a Developer-First approach to our direction and execution. We understand every innovation in this industry has been led by a developer taking a risk — every new IP, every billion-dollar franchise. Gaming’s next massive hit can come from anywhere.”
emptyvessel is supported by a network of strategic partners that will realize their model and game development goals. As an independent studio, they raised seed funding in a round led by Sisu Game Ventures, with additional investment from private firms and individuals including Raptor Group, Bill Munk (co-owner, Tripwire Interactive), Dan Bunting (former co-studio head, Treyarch), Niels De Ruiter, Tommy Tran and more.
The studio also created an advisory board made up of industry veterans including former Sony SVP Riley Russell (33-year gaming vet, and EVP at Kojima Productions).
Here’s the announcement video for the new studio:
