A number of industry veterans who previously worked at CD Projekt RED have announced that they’ve formed a new studio. Named Blank., the studio says it is “committed to bringing beautifully crafted games and unique experiences to players”, and will focus on “novel territory rather than well-trodden ground”.
Blank. has been co-founded by developers who have worked on major projects in the past, with Mateusz Kanik, who directed Cyberpunk 2077 and co-directed The Witcher 3, serving as the studio’s game director. Other co-founders include executive producers Jędrzej Mróz (CD Projekt RED) and Marcin Jefimow (CD Projekt RED, 11 Bit Studios) and managing director Mikołaj Marchewka (Rookiez from Warsaw S.A).
The studio is looking to eventually expand its team to 60 people as it begins working on its debut project. Currently, the team includes design director Michal Dobrowolski (CD Projekt RED), narrative director Artur Ganszyniec (CD Projekt Red, 11 Bit Studios), and art director Grzegorz Przybyś (Division 48 Studio, Artificer).
“We’re thrilled to announce Blank. and to start expanding our incredible team,” said Mateusz Kanik, Blank. co-founder and game director. “After working for years in an increasingly conservative industry, we’re ready to make bold, impactful projects that share our unique creativity and values. Where the industry champions a dictatorship of the creative individual, we want to give ownership to the team. Where the industry leans on crunch culture, we prefer work-life balance. Where the industry says bigger is better, we’re setting our sights on highly polished games with a focus on emotion, story, and craftsmanship.”
“Our game development philosophy comes from our own stories and experiences,” said Marcin Jefimow, Blank. co-founder and executive producer. “With Blank. we want to build a space where we can honor our histories, but also be playful and open to brand new inspirations as we collaborate creatively. We’ve already got a head start on a budding new project that we can’t wait to share with players and craft with new team members.”
“Over our many years of making games, we’ve seen the importance of marrying inspiring ideas with well-defined scope, that’s supported by a strong team and realistic budget,” said Jędrzej Mróz, Blank. co-founder and executive producer. “We’re committed to quality craftsmanship and running the studio in a sustainable way; we plan to increase our projects’ scope as we expand the team and its capabilities.”
Blank.’s first game is described as “a character-driven game set in an apocalypse, with a twist or two”. The studio has also released the first piece of concept art for the title, which you can check out below.
