Neowiz has signed an settlement to publish a noir-themed Wild West online game being made by Poland’s Zakazane recreation studio.
Seoul, South Korea-based Neowiz is the maker of Lies of P, an motion role-playing recreation loosely primarily based on Pinocchio. Now it will likely be the worldwide writer for the Outdated West RPG coming Warsaw-based Zakazane, which was began in 2022 by a crew of builders from studios corresponding to CD Projekt Pink (The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077) and 11bit Studios (Struggle of Mine and Frostpunk).
Neowiz mentioned the worldwide publishing rights partnership is an $8 million deal, which means Neowiz as writer has offered that cash for Zakazane to complete the sport. The only-player noir Western RPG facilities round a sheriff in a distant mining city tasked with fixing a case that threatens to tear the neighborhood aside.
Zakazane, which has 20 staff, is concentrated on video games for mature audiences who crave deep storytelling, shocking recreation mechanics and exploration of mature themes.
“Neowiz is committed to delivering remarkable, story-driven games that resonate with gamers worldwide, and we’re actively searching for talented developers with a passion for well-crafted narratives,” mentioned Seung-Cheol Kim, co-CEO of Neowiz, in an announcement. “When we first met Zakazane, we felt an immediate kinship around their passion for developing projects that profoundly captivate audiences. Their upcoming neo-western RPG will be a key addition to our portfolio and reflects our ambition to build lasting franchises across PC and consoles. Together, we will create a brand that unites quality and storytelling for gamers to cherish for years to come.”
“We found a great understanding of our vision with Neowiz, who got excited about our debut title the minute we showed them the demo,” mentioned Jan Bartkowicz, CEO of Zakazane, in an announcement. “In conversations that followed, they never tried to steer us away from our principles but rather to make sure we stick to our guns. It’s clear both sides understand that games can become important to people on a personal level, making them both valuable works of culture and good business.”
Led by Bartkowicz, Piotr Chomiak, Radosław Gwarek and Marta Sobek, Zakazane consists of builders from outstanding Central European recreation firms, together with CD Projekt Pink and 11bit Studios. The studio beforehand raised $1 million in pre-seed funding led by The Video games Fund to kickstart the event of their first recreation.
Beforehand, Bartkowicz led the author group for Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime streaming collection on Netflix. With the rise of neo-westerns in mainstream motion pictures and TV exhibits, Zakazane noticed the chance to increase this style into the online game panorama.
Began in 1997, Neowiz has made video games targeted on the console, PC, and cell gaming markets. Its numerous catalog of titles reaches audiences throughout totally different mediums, together with Lies of P, Skul: The Hero Slayer, Sanabi, and extra. Final November, Neowiz introduced a strategic funding in Polish developer Clean Sport Studios, whose improvement crew primarily consists of CD Projekt Pink alums.
Neowiz lately launched the Contract Wars character pack for the cell RPG BrownDust2 with Gamfs N Co. Neowiz has over 1,000 staff.
