Independent games studio Emptyvessel announced it has raised $11 million to date, including its earlier seed round and latest Series A round.
The game’s debut trailer has attracted over 1.9 million views on YouTube and work continues to progress towards a future gameplay reveal.
The new funds will fuel ongoing development of the studio’s inaugural title, Defect, and expansion of the team. The Series A lead investors include NCSoft and 1AM Gaming, along with Black Phoenix Games, Anurup Joseph, and Sebastiaan Hejne as well as initial investors Sisu Game Ventures, Raptor Group, and Compute.
The investment will enable Emptyvessel to scale for console development and single-player support of Defect alongside enhancing studio infrastructure, with the strategic alliances of like-minded industry experts and resources.
NCSoft has teamed up with the startup for a long-term partnership, offering additional support across a myriad of aspects spanning equity investment and publishing resources. NC America CEO Jeonghee Jin (JJ) is joining the Emptyvessel board of directors.
Emptyvessel is focused on taking calculated risks with art and design that deliver on high-quality, immersive gameplay experiences. The process in which Defect is being developed reflects the team’s passion and spirited approach to navigating the industry as an independent game studio.
Composed of world-class developers who have worked on iconic franchises including Doom, Quake, Call of Duty, Last of Us, and Borderlands, the studio has built a remote work model around worldwide talent based in the U.S., Australia, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere.
Currently, the company has a core team of 14. But Emptyvessel plans to grow by recruiting new hires in the next year with sustainable game development practices being a priority alongside game quality and innovations. Garrett Young, cofounder of Emptyvessel, appeared on a funding panel with Jin and Teppei Tsutsui, general partner of the GFR Fund.
Defect is a cyberpunk, squad-based, Immersive Objective Shooter set in a dystopian world, where AI controls the city with fearsome police forces. Players will battle rogue gang factions in intense multi-objective face-offs in immersive single player and multiplayer modes. Award-winning composer Mick Gordon (Doom, Borderlands 3, Prey) will create soundscapes for the studio and game. Select new screenshots of the map ‘Meatstack’, environmental updates and a new weapon called ‘Crowd Control’ show the game’s current development progress.
“It’s gratifying to see our developer-first approach resonating with fans and our new long term partners at NCSoft alongside our other investors,” said Emanuel Palalic, CEO and game director at Emptyvessel, in a statement. “We remain committed to our vision of creating a new genre in the FPS market with Defect, and while we are building in a sustainable manner, this new investment will allow us to accelerate our plans for proper single-player support and to expand onto more platforms.”
“Emptyvessel’s distinct vision for game design, production, and player interaction made us quick believers in their upcoming shooter, Defect. We’re committed to the evolution and future of this incredible game,” Jin at NCSoft West.
“We believe that Emptyvessel is a unique studio working on an amazing game, so we are thrilled to join them as a key investor as they work towards bringing a fresh perspective for first person shooter games with Defect,” said Gregory Milken, managing director of 1AM Gaming, in a statement.
Defect is in development for PC and console and is currently available for Wishlisting on Steam and Epic Games Store with more game details to be shared in the not-so-distant future.
“As an early investor in Empty Vessel, I’ve believed from day one in the team’s bold vision to redefine the shooter space through deeply immersive gameplay and distinctive cinematic style,” said Dan Bunting, venture partner at 1AM Gaming, in a message to GamesBeat. “It’s been incredibly rewarding to help grow the studio and now deepen that commitment through 1AM Gaming’s investment. We’re thrilled to partner with NC Soft and the Empty Vessel team in this next chapter and take a major step toward realizing the game’s full potential.”
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