Dark Passenger raises $3 million for The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 veterans

Dark Ridera studio founded by veterans of The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, has raised $3 million in a seed round.

The Games Fund led the round with support from the Blite Fund. The investment fuels the development of an unannounced, cutting-edge multiplayer first-person PvPvE stealth game, set in a unique world inspired by feudal Japan and martial arts cinema.

Founded by Jakub Ben and Paweł Kuleta of popular CGI studio RealTime Warriors, Dark Passenger also brings together CD Projekt Red veterans, including Marcin Michalski. With their experience in popular games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, the team aims to create an original IP unlike anything players have seen before.

The core team blends the technical expertise of RealTime Warriors with the best talent from renowned studios such as CDPR, People Can Fly, Reikon, Flying Wild Hog, and Covenant.dev. Backed by Dark Passenger, which is based in Warsaw, Poland, it plans to grow its team to more than 30 people. The company aims to reach more than 60 people at launch.

Poland has consolidated its position as the largest developer and exporter of video games in Europe, with the industry generating nearly €1 billion annually and exporting more than 96% of its production globally (according to the Polish Enterprise Development Agency). This success stems from a group of passionate and ambitious creatives. Dark Passenger is tapping into this rich talent base and is looking to become a leading gaming force in Europe.

The team is set to deliver the ultimate ninja experience, featuring thrilling rooftop chases across stunning vertical landscapes and intense, fast-paced combat. Players will wield melee and ranged weapons, use gadgets, and overcome environmental hazards, all from an immersive first-person perspective.

Dark Passenger promises to redefine melee combat in the first-person shooter genre, ditching slow-paced gameplay for ultra-dynamic, responsive combat inspired by fighting games, martial arts films, and anime classics. The team is developing an advanced movement system that allows for smooth movement, including speed climbing, wall running, base jumping, water running, and even creating new paths with spears and arrows.

To provide the ultimate ninja experience, Dark Passenger will allow players to unlock and extensively customize their characters, equipment, skills, and even create their own personal dojo. The game’s arsenal will contain a wide range of fully customizable weapons and firearms, including original and iconic historical variants. Some weapons also improve mobility, allowing players to climb higher, jump over obstacles, or support wall running, making combat and movement truly cohesive.

Dark Passenger focuses on creating a rich IP with a compelling, multi-branched story full of twists, unusual characters, and tense conflicts within a dark and evolving world. As the game progresses, new secrets will be revealed, ensuring its continuity and possibly expanding the narrative into other media. The founders believe that modern online experiences are about more than just competition; They aim to create immersive, socially oriented gameplay that focuses on interpersonal dynamics. Their passion for multiplayer action games fuels this vision, providing unique opportunities for developers passionate about the genre.

“While we’re known for story-driven RPGs, our true passion has always been multiplayer,” Dark Passenger CEO Jacob Penn said in a statement. “This obsession started over two decades ago, playing fighting games, LAN parties, and tournaments in Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament. The intense emotions of playing together and against each other have shaped unforgettable stories. We’ve always dreamed of creating a multiplayer game that orchestrates those Gasp.

Ben added: “Although the multiplayer scene is more exciting than ever, we still see huge untapped potential. It takes imagination, confidence and vision to fully understand our direction, and these are the qualities we have found at The Games Fund. “This investment is a game-changer for us, as it has helped expand our team and laid the foundations for our project, allowing us to focus on production.”

The Dark Passenger team explores the most attractive aspects of the game-as-a-service (GaaS) model, with a focus on avoiding predatory practices and unfair mechanics. Instead, they aim to prioritize live action, community engagement, a constant flow of meaningful content, and the events that make up the game world. They put communication with players at the forefront with the goal of listening and monitoring their actions in order to constantly improve the experience.

“We are committed to investing in the gaming industry in Central and Eastern Europe, and Poland has always been strong in developing single-player games on PC and consoles. However, this team has chosen to pursue its passion for cooperative multiplayer games, a vision we strongly believe in. “There is a shortage of games “One that dares to take risks and deliver bold and unusual experiences, leaving players craving the ‘hell yeah’ factor.”

He added: “After seeing the early demo, we immediately knew that Dark Passenger was poised to deliver exactly that. The quality of the experience was amazing, considering the size of the team and the time it took to develop it. We were immediately aligned with their vision: an exciting, undiluted power fantasy. We’re thrilled to be able to share With these great founders on this adventure.