The Witcher 3 director’s new studio has secured investment from NetEase

Rebel Wolves, the new studio co-founded by The Witcher 3’s game and art directors, has secured a strategic investment from Chinese tech and gaming giant NetEase.

Announced in February, Warsaw, Poland-based Rebel Wolves is helmed by CEO Konrad Tomaszkiewicz, who was The Witcher 3’s director and head of production/secondary game director for Cyberpunk 2077.

He co-founded the studio with Bartłomiej Gaweł, who was The Witcher 3’s art director, as well as design director Daniel Sadowski (Witcher 1), animation director Tamara Zawada (Witcher 3), CFO Michał Boryka, and studio head Robert Murzynowski.

The company’s debut game is described as a AAA dark fantasy title built with Unreal 5 engine for PC and new-gen consoles, which is being planned as the first part of a saga.

Following its investment, NetEase has become a minority shareholder in Rebel Wolves, which said it remains operationally independent and retains full creative control and ownership of its new IP under development.

“Having one of the leading global game companies get behind our vision is a great confidence boost and validation for the entire team at Rebel Wolves,” said Tomaszkiewicz, who is also serving as the studio’s game director.

“Funding provided by NetEase was the last missing piece needed to go full throttle. With resources available to build a world-class AAA game, we can now focus on what matters most: development.”

Tomaszkiewicz resigned from CD Projekt Red last year following allegations of bullying, which he denied. CD Projekt conducted a months-long investigation into the allegations, which ultimately found Tomaszkiewicz not guilty.