Empty Vessel
AAA immersive shooter development studio for new IPs.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | €0.0 | round | |
* | N/A | Series A | |
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Empty Vessel is an independent AAA game development studio established in March 2024, specializing in the immersive shooter genre. The company operates on a developer-first ethos, aiming to foster creativity and innovation by empowering its team of industry veterans. While its headquarters are in Austin, Texas, the studio functions on a fully remote basis, with talent located across the US, Europe, and Australia.
The studio was co-founded by CEO and Game Director Emanuel Palalic, a former senior character artist at id Software, and COO and General Manager Garrett Young, who previously held roles at id Software, Microsoft, and Disney. The founding team includes other seasoned developers from prominent studios like Naughty Dog, Activision, and Crystal Dynamics, who have worked on major franchises such as DOOM, Quake, The Last of Us, and Call of Duty. An advisory board of industry veterans, including former Sony SVP Riley Russell, supports the leadership.
Empty Vessel's business model focuses on creating high-quality IPs with smaller, focused teams, breaking from traditional, large-scale AAA development models to ensure sustainability. The studio secured an initial seed funding round led by Sisu Game Ventures, with additional investments from Raptor Group and other private individuals. In June 2025, the company closed its Series A funding round led by NCSOFT and 1AM Gaming, bringing its total raised capital to $11 million. This funding is allocated to expand the team and support the development of its first title, including console and single-player versions.
The studio's debut project is "DEFECT," a squad-based, immersive objective shooter built on Unreal Engine 5. Set in a dystopian, cyberpunk world where AI controls the city, the game will feature both multiplayer and single-player modes. Empty Vessel has also partnered with award-winning composer Mick Gordon to create the soundscapes for the studio and its projects and with creative agency PETROL Advertising for brand strategy and marketing.
Keywords: AAA game development, immersive shooter, Unreal Engine 5, remote game studio, developer-first, cyberpunk, DEFECT, Emanuel Palalic, Garrett Young, Mick Gordon, Sisu Game Ventures, NCSOFT, 1AM Gaming, squad-based shooter, single-player games, PC gaming, console gaming, independent studio, video game IPs, dystopian sci-fi