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

The Games Foundation led the round with support from the Blite Foundation. The investment will fuel the development of a predictable, cutting-edge, first-person multiplayer PvPvE stealth game set in a unique universe inspired by feudal Japan and martial arts cinema.

Created by Jakub Behn and Pavel Kuleta of renowned CGI studio RealTime Warriors, Dark Passenger also brings together veterans from CD Projekt Red, including Marcin Michalski. With experience from iconic titles like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, the team aims to create an original IP unlike anything gamers have seen before.

The core team combines RealTime Warriors art expertise with top talent from renowned studios such as CDPR, People Fly, Reikon, Flying Wild Hog and Covenant.dev. With the support, Dark Passenger, based in Warsaw, Poland, plans to grow its team to more than 30 people. The company aims to reach over 60 by launch.

Poland has solidified its position as Europe's top video game developer and exporter, with an industry generating nearly €1 billion in annual revenue and exporting more than 96% of its production worldwide (according to the Polish Enterprise Development Agency). This success comes from passionate and ambitious creators. Dark Passenger taps into this rich talent base and aims to become a leading force in the European gaming landscape.

The team is committed to delivering the ultimate ninja experience featuring stunning vertical landscapes and intense, fast-paced battles. Players wield swords and ranged weapons, use gadgets, and conquer environmental threats, all from a first-person perspective.

Dark Passenger promises to redefine the first-person fighting genre, eschewing 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 seamless movement such as fast climbing, wall running, base jumping, water running, and even creating new paths with spears and arrows.

To provide the ultimate ninja experience, Dark Passenger allows players to unlock and extensively customize their characters, equipment and skills, and even create their own dojo. The game's arsenal includes a wide range of fully customizable weapons and firearms, including original and historical variants. Some weapons even allow players to climb higher, jump over obstacles, or support wall running, truly intertwining combat and movement.

Dark Passenger aims to create a rich IP with a compelling, multi-layered story full of twists, unique characters and tense conflicts in a dark, evolving world. New secrets are revealed as the game progresses, making it longer and expanding the narrative into other media. The organizers believe that modern online experiences are about more than competition; they aim to create an immersive, socially driven game that focuses on interpersonal dynamics. Their passion for multiplayer action games has fueled this phenomenon, offering unique opportunities for developers who love the genre.

"While we're known for our three-player, story-driven RPGs, our true passion has always been multiplayer," Dark Passenger CEO Jakub Ben said in a statement. “This obsession started twenty years ago, playing fighting games, LAN parties and Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament. Strong emotions playing together and against each other created unforgettable experiences. We've always dreamed of creating a multiplayer game that captures those moments."

Ben added, "While the multiplayer landscape is more exciting than ever, we still see huge untapped potential. It takes imagination, confidence and vision to fully realize our direction, and those are the qualities we found in The Games Foundation. This investment is a game-changer for us—it's our team." helped us expand and lay the foundation for our project, allowing us to focus on production.”

The Dark Passenger team explores the most interesting aspects of the game-as-a-service (GaaS) model, focusing on avoiding predatory actions and unfair mechanics. Instead, they aim to prioritize live operations, community engagement, a steady stream of meaningful content, and stories that shape the game world. They prioritize communication with players to listen and observe their actions to continuously improve the experience.

“We are committed to investing in the CEE gaming industry, and Poland has always been strong in the development of PC and console single-player games. However, this team decided to follow their passion for collaborative multiplayer games, a vision we strongly believe in,” Games Foundation managing partner Iliya Yeremeev said in a statement. "There's a dearth of games that take risks and deliver bold, unapologetic experiences that players crave for the 'Hell Yeah' factor."

He added: “After seeing their first demo, we knew right away that Dark Passenger would deliver just that. Given the size of the team and development time, the quality of the experience was astounding. We immediately bought into their vision: an exciting, undiluted power fantasy. We are excited to partner with these great founders on this adventure.”