Activision forms new studio with CD Projekt Red and Naughty Dog veterans

Activision forms Elsewhere Entertainment with “storytelling experts” to create new IP

One week after Microsoft axed four of its game studios, Activision (a subsidiary of Microsoft), has announced that they have formed a new one. This studio is called Elsewhere Entertainment, a studio that’s focused on new “narrative-based” AAA franchise.

Forming the studio are “storytelling experts” that have previously worked for Naughty Dog, Ubisoft, Bungie, and CD Projekt Red. The studio is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with additional resources in the US. The studio’s staff include experts who have worked on The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk, Destiny, Tom Clancy’s The Division, and the Far Cry franchise.

Below is what Activision had to say when revealing this new game studio.

Activision has formed an all-new internal studio, Elsewhere Entertainment. The new team, headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with additional resources in the U.S., is exclusively focused on creating a new narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise.

Built from the ground up, Elsewhere Entertainment is a premier and standalone studio dedicated to establishing an environment that inspires bold and diverse ideas. The team’s underlying mission encourages everyone to explore and collaborate creatively to craft a franchise with an enduring legacy that resonates far beyond games.

The talented team at Elsewhere Entertainment consists of a collection of storytelling experts whose credits include The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk, Destiny, Tom Clancy’s The Division, and Far Cry.

The new studio has full access to Activision’s resources and tools as it continues to increase production and development. Elsewhere is opening its search for best-in-class talent from across the industry and around the world to help create a state-of-the-art and next generation gaming experience.

It is great to see Activision investing in a narrative-based AAA franchise. That said, this announcement makes it clear that Activision/Microsoft had the resources to continue supporting Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin if they wished to do so. The focus on a narrative-focused game is a positive development. Even so, it remains to be seen if Elsewhere Entertainment can achieve Activision’s ambitions. Will they create the next The Witcher or The Last of Us? Or will this studio fade into obscurity?

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