The turmoil at CD Projekt Red appears to have an upside. Gamesindustry.biz and On the edge Former CDPR executive Konrad Tomaszkiewicz has formed a new studio, Rebel Wolves. The new company has barely started work on its first title, but the company said it would be a dark fantasy RPG based on Unreal Engine 5. Tomaszkiewicz wants it to be the “holy grail” of digital RPGs, with the open-ended feel of a pen and paper game where decisions affect the world around you. The game is currently expected to release in 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
Rebel Wolves plans to expand its roster from 12 people to more than 80 people over the next few years, but the goal is to keep the team relatively small, flexible and focused. Tomaszkiewicz also saw this as a chance to break free from CDPR’s focus on licensed material – he said. GI.biz the new development house offered the freedom to create an original universe that suited his team’s preferences.
Tomaszkiewicz played a pivotal role in CDPR, having directed the critically acclaimed film the witch 3 and acted as secondary director for the ambitious but flawed Cyberpunk 2077. Co-founder Jakub Szamałek also hails from these teams, while other employees have worked on games like shadow warrior 2 and destroyer of thrones. However, Bloomberg grades Tomaszkiewicz left CDPR in May 2021 over allegations that he bullied co-workers. A commission found him not guilty, but CDPR was also accused of demanding crisis time to end cyberpunk despite promises to the contrary.
The industry figure promised not to repeat those mistakes, however. Tomaszkiewicz said On the edge Rebel Wolves wanted a supportive environment with collaborative input and transparent decision making. He also acknowledged the challenges of hiring a diverse workforce when the first employees are veterans and said GI.biz he expected the studio to provide “many different voices and perspectives” over time. As with some other new industry legend studios, it’s as much about correcting bad habits in the industry as it is about gaining creative independence.
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