NEOWIZ and Wolfeye Studios announce a new partnership

The gaming world is flooded with retro-futurisms and retro sci-fi, but I think a new announcement from South Korean studio NEOWIZ and Austin-based Wolfeye Studios has something quite interesting. Announced rather quietly, the studio behind Weird West and Arkane Studios alums Julien Roby and Raphaël Colantonio are partnering with NEOWIZ on an as-yet-unnamed title. The press release is quite literally an announcement of the partnership, with vague descriptions and a couple of concept art shots.

“NEOWIZ and Wolfeye Studios will take players to a twisted new world as the publisher and developer partner together to bring Wolfeye’s Retro Sci-fi First-Person Action RPG to audiences around the world. This yet-to-be-named title features an intricately crafted world with a branching narrative in a retrofuturistic setting and will be distributed globally by NEOWIZ,” the press release notes.

Co-CEO of NEOWIZ, Seunchul Kim, said of the announcement, “Partnering with a studio brimming with incredible talent at Wolfeye is a timely and strategic fit for us. This collaboration reaffirms our commitment to delivering remarkable story-driven games that resonate with gamers worldwide on PC and console platforms.” There is no word on when the release will come or on which platforms. If we’re honest, this could be another 4-6 years before we see a release or even a trailer with the release date. Yes, I’m a twinge cynical.

Creative Director and studio President, Raphaël Colantonio, notes in the press release, “We have a burning passion for making a very specific type of game that blends RPG, action[,] and simulation. These games can only be successful when the publisher shares that same passion.“

While studio CEO and Executive Producer of Wolfeye Studios, Julien Roby, said, “With NEOWIZ, we found a partner that truly understands our vision and is as committed as we are to delivering a unique, creative[,] and memorable game experience that will appeal both to our long-term fans and new players alike.“

I’m excited to see what is next from both the developer and publisher. Both Roby and Colantonio worked on Arkane’s Arx Fatalis and Dishonored, with Colantonio sticking around for Prey and Dishonored 2. NEOWIZ is of course known for publishing Unsouled, 8Doors, Dandy Ace, Skul: The Hero Slayer, and Aka to name a few, but most notably for developing and publishing 2023’s fantastic Dark Souls (1) remake, Lies of P.