Neowiz Invests $8 Million in Publishing Partnership with Zakazane

Neowiz has entered into an $8 million agreement with Zakazane, a Warsaw-based game developer, to publish the studio's upcoming neo-Western RPG. According to a report by GamesBeat, Neowiz will provide funding for the game's development, describing it as a 'crucial addition to its portfolio'. Neowiz co-CEO Seung-Cheol Kim stated, 'We instantly connected with Zakazane over their passion for creating captivating projects, and their upcoming neo-Western RPG will be a significant enhancement to our portfolio, reflecting our goal of establishing lasting franchises across PC and console platforms.' Jan Bartkowicz, CEO of Zakazane, added, 'We found a deep understanding with Neowiz, who were enthusiastic about our debut title from the moment they saw the demo. In our subsequent conversations, they encouraged us to stay true to our vision rather than trying to steer us away from it.' Zakazane, founded in 2022 by Bartkowicz, Piotr Chomiak, Radosław Gwarek, and Marta Sobek, comprises 20 developers from renowned studios such as CD Projekt Red and 11Bit Studios. The studio had previously secured $1 million in pre-seed funding, led by The Games Fund, to initiate development of its debut game. Notably, Neowiz invested $17 million in Polish developer Blank Game Studios last year and acquired a 21% stake in the company.