A group of former Witcher 3 developers have started their own studio called Dark Passenger and are now working on a new multiplayer game with ninjas. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, originally released on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One back in 2015, has remained a widely popular title among gamers. The success of The Witcher 3 led to a slew of spin-offs and even a Netflix live-action TV series. Just last month, a new expansion for Witcher 3’s digital collectible card game spin-off called Gwent: Rogue Mage was released.
However, while The Witcher 3 significantly bolstered the success and popularity of its publisher and developer CD Projekt Red, the studio’s next new major title had the opposite effect. After years of massive anticipation and excitement, Cyberpunk 2077’s launch in December 2020 was considered a disaster. Even after multiple delays, the game was released with a significant number of technical and performance issues, the latter particularly affecting the game’s PS4 and Xbox One versions. The game’s problems led Sony and Microsoft to issue refunds, with the former even removing the game from the PlayStation Store for a time. More than a year after its launch, the game is now in a much better place and a Cyberpunk 2077 expansion was confirmed for 2023 by CD Projekt Red.
As for Dark Passenger (via PCGamesN), it announced plans for on an online multiplayer action game built on Unreal Engine 5. It will be played in first-person and will feature both PVP and PVE gameplay. The title will be set in feudal era Japan and players will take on the role of shinobi and kunoichi warriors. According to the studio’s website, the upcoming game is expected to release on both Steam and the Epic Games Store as well as on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Dark Passenger was co-founded by ex-CD Projekt developers Jakub Ben and Marci Michalski, who previously worked on The Witcher 3 as well as Cyberpunk 2077, and is made up of "gamedev veterans and fresh blood specialists."
Dark Passenger's First Project Is Set in Feudal Japan
Feudal era Japan has always been a popular setting for video games, as well as translating into modern titles like Assassin’s Creed, which reportedly includes a setting in Japan for the franchise’s upcoming live-service title, and two of the most popular games of 2020, Ghost of Tsushima and Nioh 2 are also set in the location. Settings based on Japan have been especially prevalent in both the action and horror genres of gaming thanks to agile weapons and intense atmospheres.
While Dark Passenger’s first project has plenty of interesting aspects to entice gamers, including influence from the notable dev team responsible for the Witcher 3, it will likely be a while before the title is ready to play. While information on the new project and development team is currently limited, it is likely fans interested in the new game will get more details in the coming months.
Source: Dark Passenger (via PCGamesN), Dark Passenger/Twitter