CD Projekt crowdfunded The Witcher: Ronin, a Witcher-based manga that depicts Geralt and his gang in feudal Japan in 2021. Ex-members of CD Projekt now want to go one step further and launch a studio called Dark Passenger, which is working on an online action game in–you guessed right–feudal Japan.
Jakub Ben and Marcin Michalski were co-founders of Dark Passenger. They worked together on The Witcher 3 and its expansions as part of CD Projekt. Michalski was an environmental artist and coordinator, and Ben was a cinematic artist. Michalski served as a senior artist for Gwent and Thronebreaker. They were also an “outsource partner” in Cyberpunk 2077, where they created in-game television cinematics.
Dark Passenger, which doesn’t have an official title yet, will be their first standalone game. It is a first-person online multiplayer game that supports PvP and coop PvE. The game was built in Unreal Engine 5.
The studio’s website states, “our goal is to create highly entertaining online experiences focused on competition and cooperation.” We are fascinated by interpersonal interactions, alliances and daring confrontations. We use advanced procedural solutions to make each game different and unexpected. Although the ultimate goal is the same for everyone, each player must achieve it with a different strategy and approach.
“Our locomotion system allows players to do notable evolutions like running on arrows fired by others, climbing vertically with shuko claws or using the yari spear as a pole to jump across obstacles. There will be many weapons in players’ arsenal, including katanas, short tanto and wakizashi blades, and shurikens and kunai throwing knives. Close-range combat requires precision as tactical skills and close cooperation with your teammates.
You will have many customization options for your characters and equipment. There will also be user-designed dojos that allow you to join friends for movement and combat practice. In a press release, the studio stated that the game will not be an MMO but a match-based game with “stealth action multiplayer and robust player progression.” At specific points, the first-person view will be enhanced with third-person views. There will not be any single player beyond the training dojo. Dark Passenger expressed an interest in “expanding” the universe in the future.
Dark Passenger still has openings for this project. The studio stated that it expected to add a few CD Projekt colleagues to the team soon. Its website also references past criticisms of CD Projekt’s working conditions and lack thereof in diversity. The careers page states, “We create an environment free from prejudice based on tolerance and support.” We treat each person’s needs as seriously as the group’s. All amenities are provided, including private medical care and overtime. We offer flexible work hours and holidays, emphasizing work/life balance. Both remote and stationary work is possible.
Unsurprisingly, Dark Passenger has yet to reveal when its debut game will be released. However, you can keep up with the latest developments on Twitter.
