Some Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher series veterans left CD Projekt Red to form a new studio called Blank, having revealed their new venture on Wednesday. Their announcement arrived shortly after their former employer had to debunk yet another rumor claiming that it's being acquired by Sony.
With over a 1,000 employees the world over as of 2023, CDPR is as prone to losing talent as most other large developers. And while some of its former staffers moved to other established studios over the years, it's not unusual to see its ex-employees start their own companies. Just last year, a group of former CDPR developers announced they're making an online ninja game as part of one such venture.
Located a 20-minute drive from CD Projekt Red's Warsaw offices, studio Blank is the latest example of that trend. The company formally opened its doors in May, with three of its four founders being CDPR veterans. All but one other member of its seven-strong staff lists the Witcher 3 developer among their former employers. But that's not to say the studio's first game – or any subsequent project, for that matter – will be looking to rival CDPR's titles. On the contrary, Blank's official website says its team has had enough of massive open-world games, stating that the studio will focus on "simpler goals" by delivering titles that highlight emotional storytelling and "uniqueness."
Elaborating on that blurb, Blank took to LinkedIn to vow that it will deliver narrative-driven games "of the utmost polish and refinement." Its first attempt at doing so will be a character-focused game in an apocalyptic setting "with a twist or two." The first piece of concept art for the game doesn't reveal much more than that, depicting a high-spirited woman driving through a countryside which looks like it went through some fantastically cataclysmic event. The number 41 is seen tattooed on her right arm, with a seemingly fourth-wall-breaking "I'll be back" message visible on the driver's sun visor.
It's likely going to be a while before Blank is ready to share anything else about its first-ever game, as the studio is still in the process of building a full production team. The positions it's currently looking to fill are all senior roles and include openings for a technical director, environment artist, and 3D animator.
Regardless of how this venture turns out, there's no denying that the majority of Blank's staff already created quite a legacy at CD Projekt Red. This was most recently exemplified earlier this week, when The Witcher 3 reached yet another impressive sales milestone eight years after release.