Former CD Projekt Red developers have announced the formation of new developer, Rebel Wolves with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt director, Konrad Tomaszkiewicz leading the studio as CEO and game director.
The studio is aiming to promote a team-first mentality by maintaining the well-being of its staff by reigniting the passion of experienced game developers who want to break away from the “weight of AAA development studios” like CD Projekt’s development cycle with Cyberpunk 2077 which recently got a next-gen patch for consoles.
Rebel Wolves’ debut game is already in production and is described as a story-driven AAA dark fantasy RPG that is the first of an overarching planned saga that aims to become “the holy grail of computer RPGs.” The studio’s first title is being developed for Unreal Engine 5 for PC and “next-gen consoles.”
“For all of us here at Rebel Wolves, video games were always something we felt destined to do—something ingrained in our DNA. Personally, I couldn’t be happier to have banded together with friends who share this passion,” Rebel Wolves CEO and game director, Tomaszkiewicz said in a press release.
“We’re developing a video game we’d like to play in a way that games should be made. We want to evolve the CRPG genre by creating unforgettable stories and stirring deep emotions, all while working as a tightly knit team united by a shared goal and ambition.”
Joining the him on this journey at the Warsaw, Poland-based studio is former CD Projekt developers, whichincludes Bartłomiej Gaweł (Witcher 3), Jakub Szamałek (Witcher 3, Cyberpunk 2077, Thronebreaker), design director Daniel Sadowski (Witcher 1), animation director Tamara Zawada (Witcher 3), CFO Michał Boryka, and studio head Robert Murzynowski.
“In order to create truly great games, we won’t chase trends or numbers. Our goal is clearly defined: to create memorable games, tell moving stories, and evoke visceral emotions. It’s ambitious, true – and I’m glad it is. Art needs ambition. I don’t want to create another game. I want to work on titles people will remember,” The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt writer, Jakub Szamałek said in a statement.
The announcement of the new studio follows Tomaszkiewicz’s resignation from CD Projekt from this past May after a multiple-month-long investigation over allegations of workplace bullying. The Witcher director denied the allegations and was ultimately not found guilty. Rebel Wolves’ focus on the well-being of its staff comes across as there might have been a bit of truth or not to the allegations and that the new studio’s philosophy is a new era of how to treat developers for the ex-CD Projekt staff.
