AUSTIN, Texas – June 3, 2025 – Independent games studio emptyvessel today announced the close of its initial Series A, which in addition to an earlier undisclosed seed round, puts the total raised amount at $11 million. 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, reflecting confidence in DEFECT’s development and fan enthusiasm. The game’s debut trailer has attracted over 1.9M views on YouTube and work continues to progress towards a future gameplay reveal.
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 reflects a long term partnership offering additional support across a myriad of aspects spanning equity investment, publishing resources and NC America CEO Jeonghee Jin (JJ) 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 US, Australia, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere. Currently a core team of 14, 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.
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, emptyvessel. “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," said Jeonghee "JJ" Jin, CEO, NC America, COO, NC 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.
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. Fans can visit the official game website, and follow the game on Facebook, Instagram and X. For more information about emptyvessel visit the studio’s official website and follow them on X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
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About emptyvessel
emptyvessel is an independent game development studio with a specialty in the immersive shooter space that believes in a simple ethos: with creative independence comes greatness. The team at emptyvessel comprises world-class developers with over 100 years of combined experience who have held critical roles at Activision, Crystal Dynamics, Disney, Gearbox Software, id Software, Microsoft, Naughty Dog, Tripwire Interactive, and more. Currently in development, DEFECT is a new game IP that aims to deliver a unique Immersive Objective Shooter experience. From the creative minds of emptyvessel comes a cyberpunk, squad-based shooter set in a future besieged by omnipresent AI, criminal warfare, and rogue law enforcement. Based in Austin, Texas, the studio operates fully remote with development talent located worldwide in locations across the US, Australia, Europe, and Japan. For further information, visit https://www.emptyvessel.io.