AAA games studio emptyvessel announces establishment; developing “immersive shooter”

12.03.2024 - 12:49 / gematsu.com

emptyvessel, a new independent AAA games studio formed of veteran developers based in Austin, Texas, has announced its establishment. The studio’s founding staff has worked on iconic franchises such as DOOM, Quake, Call of Duty, The Last of Us, Borderlands, Tomb Raider, The Callisto Protocol, and more. Its first title is an Unreal Engine-5 powered title that will leverage its experience in the “immersive shooter” space.

emtpyvessel is led by CEO and game director Emanual Palalic, and chief operating officer and general manager Garrett Young, who both served in critical roles at id Software. They are joined by chief technical officer Wei Ning, art director Alex Palma, animation director Rico Flores, and others.

The studio says it is “driven by its mission to make top-quality games and its passion for taking risks to create new refreshing types of entertainment experiences,” and “aims to break from the traditional business models and work together towards a common vision of a future powered by people and creativity.”

“Many game developers like myself began our journey fueled by the dream of one day bringing our worlds to life,” said emptyvessel CEO and game director Emanuel Palalic 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.”

emptyvessel chief operating officer and general manager 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’s network of strategic partners include a seed funding round led by Sisu Game Ventures, with additional investments from Raptor Group, Tripwire Interactive co-owner Bill Munk, former Treyarch co-studio head Dan Bunting, Niels de Ruiter, Tommy Tran, and more.

The studio has also created an advisory board comprised of industry veterans such as Kojima Productions U.S. executive vice president Riley Russell and award-winning composer Mick Gordon (who will create soundscapes for the studio’s first project).

PETROL Advertising, which has a track record of over 2,000 successful game launches, will lead campaign, brand strategy, and go-to market planning for the studio.

Watch the studio announcement video below.

emptyvessel Announce Video