Several members of CD Projekt RED (from now on CDPR) have left the studio, so it’s another team with some familiar names.

Mateusz Kanik, who previously co-directed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and then Cyberpunk 2077, announced that he opened a new studio in Warsaw. It’s called Blank. (yes, with a full stop at the end), and the current team of ten has mostly transferred from CDPR to work on a character-driven post-apocalyptic game with “a twist or two.” (The attached concept artwork image reminds us of Borderlands and The Walking Dead…)

Among the founders of Blank. are Mateusz Kanik (previous jobs in brackets: CDPR), co-founder and game director; Jedrzej Mroz (CDPR), co-founder and executive producer; Marcin Jefimow (CDPR, 11 Bit Studios), co-founder and executive producer; Mikolaj Marchewka (Rookiez at Warsaw S. A), managing director; Michael Dobrolowski (CDPR), design director; Artur Ganszyniec (CDPR, 11 Bit Studios), narrative director; and Grzegorz Przybys (Division 48 Studio, Artificer), art director. The new team is committed to “bringing beautifully crafted games and unique experiences to players, favoring novel territory rather than well-trodden ground.” With plans to expand the team to 60 people, they have more job openings here.

“We’re thrilled to announce Blank. and to start expanding our incredible team. After working for years in an increasingly conservative industry, we’re ready to make bold, impactful projects that share our unique creativity and values. Where the industry champions a dictatorship of the creative individual, we want to give ownership to the team. Where the industry leans on crunch culture, we prefer work-life balance. Where the industry says bigger is better, we’re setting our sights on highly polished games focusing on emotion, story, and craftsmanship,” Kanik said.

“Our game development philosophy comes from our own stories and experiences. With Blank. we want to build a space to honor our histories and be playful and open to brand-new inspirations as we collaborate creatively. We’ve already got a head start on a budding new project that we can’t wait to share with players and craft with new team members,” Jefimow added. “Over many years of making games, we’ve seen the importance of marrying inspiring ideas with a well-defined scope supported by a strong team and realistic budget. We’re committed to quality craftsmanship and sustainably running the studio; we plan to increase our projects’ scope as we expand the team and its capabilities,” Mroz said.

Good luck to the team.

Source: Gematsu