NetEase Games has announced a new remote-first AAA game studio, BulletFarm. Led by the award-winning industry veteran David Vonderhaar, the studio is the latest addition to the developer’s company. Vonderhaar’s experiences include his leadership on Call of Duty, particularly the acclaimed Call of Duty: Black Ops series.
The news of the new studio arrives with the information that BulletFarm is setting forth on a new project to develop an ambitious new AAA game. The game is built in Unreal Engine 5. It takes place in an original universe with an emphasis on co-operative gameplay. Also, the game will craft a more intimate and relatable experience while offering a fresh take on first-person gameplay. Joining Vonderhaar as the studio’s creative director is veteran game designer Chris Cowell.
Vonderhaar spoke about the news, saying:
“Starting this new studio has given me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at making something entirely new and different. This is a departure from the games I’ve worked on, but one that showcases my passion for rich characters, precise mechanics, more intimate storytelling, and plenty of action…NetEase has provided us an incredible support structure to explore these new avenues and allow true freedom to begin building the concept and ideas for our game.”
NetEase is a leading global developer and publisher of video game IP across a variety of genres and platforms. Their publishing slate includes games since as Naraka: Bladepoint. The president of global investments and partnerships Simon Zhu spoke about BulletFarm.
“NetEase Games is fully dedicated to giving BulletFarm the resources and support required to build this new first person experience…David’s leadership and the early collection of game development talent assembled at the studio is set to offer something truly unique for his existing fans along with a new audience.”
BulletFarm seeks to recruit and build a world-class team with a global reach.