Founded by former members of Naughty Dog, iD Software and Activision, emptyvessel is a new independent AAA game studio whose mission will be to create “high-quality, meaningful games.”
Comprised of world-class developers who have worked on iconic franchises including DOOM, Quake, Call of Duty, The Last of Us, Borderlands, Tomb Raider, Uncharted, The Callisto Protocol and more, the studio aims to share its specialty into the immersive shooter space with its yet-to-be-announced first title.
emptyvessel is led by CEO and game director, Emanuel Palalic, and COO and GM, Garrett Young. Along with Palalic and Young, the team is led by CTO Wei Ning, art director Alex Palma, animation director Rico Flores and more. emptyvessel is headquartered in Austin, Texas, but operates completely remotely with its staff located around the world – the United States, Australia and Europe – to meet the personal needs of each team member.
emptyvessel aims to find a breaking point with traditional business models and to work together towards a common vision of a future powered by people and creativity, where the industry is driven forward by teams of great game creators. The developers are currently working on an unannounced first project that will leverage their expertise in the immersive shooter space. Based on Unreal Engine 5their first game is inspired by films, graphic novels and games set in worlds dystopian science fiction.
The studio also created an advisory board made up of industry veterans, including Sony's former senior vice president (a 33-year industry veteran, and EVP at Kojima Productions). Award-winning composer Mick Gordon (DOOM, Borderlands 3, Prey) will also collaborate with the team to create soundscapes for the studio and their first project.