People Can Fly veterans launch new studio

A group of People can Fly veterans have formed a new studio known as The Astronauts, which is set to lift off with a long-term Unreal Engine licensing agreement.

The Warsaw studio was founded by Adrian Chmielarz, Andrzej Poznanski and Michal Kosieradzki and will develop multiple games with Epic’s Engine.

The first title will be powered by UE3 and is due for release in 2013.

Adrian Chmielarz, co-founder of The Astronauts, says his team has worked with UE3 for the past six years.

“Choosing Unreal Engine technology for our future was the textbook definition of a no-brainer," he said.

"We are on a quest to map uncharted waters, and Epic’s tech provides the stability required for success.”

The Astronauts are focused on creating games with rich storytelling and imaginative visuals, and seek to challenge industry conventions of gamplay.

“We’re truly impressed with what high-quality games small, independent teams are creating using the Unreal Engine,” said Mike Gamble, European territory manager of Epic.

“The best is yet to come, and there’s a good chance that The Astronauts will be one of those teams that makes us say ‘Wow.’”