NCSOFT announced on the 2nd that it has made a strategic equity investment in the U.S. independent game development studio Empty Vessel.
This investment was made through NCSOFT's North American subsidiary NCSOFT West, and Empty Vessel is a triple-A game developer established in Austin, Texas, in 2023. Empty Vessel was founded by veteran developers from major global game companies such as Activision, Disney, id Software, Microsoft, and Naughty Dog.
Currently, Empty Vessel is developing a PC platform shooting game called "DEFECT" based on Unreal Engine 5. This game is a cyberpunk-themed squad PvP (Player versus Player) tactical shooter, and the first official trailer was released in 2024.
With this investment, both companies plan to discuss various collaboration options, including the publishing rights for "DEFECT," and build a long-term partnership.
NCSOFT is continuously investing in promising studios such as Sweden’s Moon Rover Games and domestic Misty Games to expand its global portfolio, including the shooting game genre.
Park Byeong-mu, co-CEO of NCSOFT, said, "Empty Vessel is a studio with successful experience and expertise in the globally major genre of shooting games," and added, "We will continue to invest to acquire new IPs and build genre-based cluster pipelines."
Emmanuel Falric, CEO of Empty Vessel, noted, "The partnership with NCSOFT was established based on a deep resonance with our philosophy and goals," stating, "Both DEFECT and Empty Vessel will serve as stepping stones for our growth."