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Emptyvessel is ramping up production on its first game, Defect, after securing $11 million in funding. The independent studio aims to deliver a cyberpunk-style first-person shooter set in a dystopian world dominated by AI.
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The funding, split between a previously closed seed round and a more recent Series A, gives Emptyvessel the resources to expand its team, improve platform support, and build out studio infrastructure. NCSoft and 1AM Gaming led the Series A round, with participation from Black Phoenix Games, Anurup Joseph, and Sebastiaan Hejne. Sisu Game Ventures and Raptor Group also returned after investing in earlier stages.
NCSoft’s involvement goes beyond money. The company will also support development and publishing for Defect, and its North America CEO, Jeonghee Jin, has joined Emptyvessel’s board. The collaboration points to a deeper role as the project moves forward.
Defect introduces players to a city controlled by machines. Players take on missions in this world through squad-based, objective-driven gameplay. The game blends single-player and multiplayer elements and is being developed with a focus on tactical action and narrative depth.
The current development team includes 14 core members. Many come from well-known titles including Call of Duty, The Last of Us, Doom, and Borderlands. CEO Emanuel Palalic, who also serves as game director, leads the project with a design-first mindset and an eye on long-term production stability.
Sound design is also getting special attention. Mick Gordon, recognized for his intense soundtracks in Doom and Prey, is building the audio landscape for Defect.
As interest builds, early previews of the game have already made waves. The official trailer has drawn more than 1.9 million views on YouTube. Additional content, such as sneak peeks at maps like “Meatstack” and in-game tools like the “Crowd Control” weapon, has sparked more buzz.
Emptyvessel plans to scale gradually while keeping creative standards high. With funding in place and a growing fan base, Defect could be a standout release in the cyberpunk shooter space.