More than ten thousand people were laid off by video game companies in 2023. In less than two months of this year, another seven thousand jobs were cut. Despite the visible crisis and changes, there are companies that are not afraid to invest in talent. One such is the Chinese one NetEase Gameswhich boasted the establishment of the studio BulletFarm.
BulletFarm is located in Los Angeles and is run by David Vonderhaar. He left Treyarch last summer after eight installments of Call of Duty, where he mainly oversaw the multiplayer part. He has a creative director by his side Chris Cowell, who previously worked as a designer on Modern Warfare (2019), Warzone and Black Ops – Cold War. Together with other colleagues, they want to create an ambitious first-person AAA title in Unreal Engine 5. It should emphasize cooperation.
In a press release, Vonderhaar talks about stepping out of his comfort zone and opportunities to do something completely new and different. It's supposed to be a departure from what he's been working on so far. At the same time, this project will show his passion for interesting characters, precise mechanisms, a more intimate story and lots of action. What is certain is that the title is set in the original universe.
With the support of NetEase Games, they also create their dream games Mac Walters (Mass Effect), Paul Ehret (Chief Control Designer) a Toshihiro Nagoshi (creator of the Yakuza series).