Draft:Embark Studios
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| Submission declined on 18 May 2025 by DoubleGrazing (talk). This submission is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources are required so that information can be verified. If you need help with referencing, please see Referencing for beginners and Citing sources. This draft's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article. In summary, the draft needs multiple published sources that are:
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Comment: Medium and LinkedIn are user-generated, and therefore not considered reliable. At least another four sources are primary and very close to the subject. This means that ⅔ of the citations are useless in what comes to establishing notability per WP:NCORP. Wikipedia articles should be composed by summarising what independent and reliable secondary sources have said about a subject and what makes it worthy of note. DoubleGrazing (talk) 09:11, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
 Logo since 2018 | |
 Headquarters in the old Bankpalatset building | |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | September 20, 2018 in Stockholm,  Sweden |
Key people | Patrick Söderlund (CEO) |
| Products | |
Number of employees |
|
| Parent | Nexon Co., Ltd. |
| Website | www |
Embark Studios AB is a Swedish video game developer based in Stockholm. The company was founded in 2018 by industry veterans and former DICE employees Magnus Nordin, Rob Runesson, Stefan Strandberg, Patrick Söderlund, Jenny Huldschiner and Johan Andersson.[1] Embark is a subsidiary of the South Korean video-game publisher Nexon since 2021.[2] An exact number of employees at Embark is unknown, but estimates suggest the number to be around ~350 employees. (2025)[3][4]
Background
[edit]Embark Studios was founded in November 2018 by Patrick Söderlund, the former CEO of DICE (Digital Illusions CE) and Chief Design Officer at Electronic Arts (EA)[5]. Söderlund left DICE after nearly two decades with the company, where he had been a key figure in the development and direction of franchises such as Battlefield, Star Wars Battlefront and Mirrors Edge. His departure came amidst broader discussions within the industry about innovation, creative freedom, and the role of large publishers.[6]
The studio was established in Stockholm with a small core team, many of whom also had backgrounds at DICE. From the outset, Embark positioned itself as a technology-driven company aiming to rethink how games are developed, placing emphasis on procedural content, player collaboration, and emerging tools such as machine learning and cloud computing. The founders expressed a desire to build games in new ways, with smaller teams empowered by powerful toolchains[7][8] By 2019, the team had grown to around 50 people.[9]
In late 2018, shortly after the company was formed, South Korean publisher Nexon made a strategic investment and became the majority stakeholder in Embark controlling a stake of 66.1% in the company[10]. In 2021, Nexon completed the full acquisition of Embark Studios, integrating it as a subsidiary while allowing it to operate with a degree of autonomy.[11]
The studio headquarters began in an old bank building called Södra Bankohuset which was built in the 17th century for the Swedish central bank.[12] In august 2020 the studio moved to a new location called Bankpalatset approximately 1km from the first location.[13] The interior of their current studio was designed by the studio themselves using Blender in collaboration with architects.[14]
Games developed
[edit]| Year | Title | Genre | Platform | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | THE FINALS | FPS, Multiplayer | Microsoft Windows, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox Series | Nexon |
| 2025 | ARC Raiders | TPS, Multiplayer | Microsoft Windows, Playstation 5, Xbox Series | Nexon |
| (TBA) | WIM[15] | Creative platform, Sandbox | (TBA) | (TBA) |
Technology
[edit]Photogrammetry
[edit]Embark Studios has developed an advanced photogrammetry pipeline designed to streamline the creation of high-quality 3D assets for games. The studio’s "one-click photogrammetry" system automates the traditionally time-consuming process of converting real-world scans into game-ready assets. Built using Houdini and integrated with tools like RealityCapture and Unreal Engine, the pipeline processes raw scan data by cleaning geometry, generating UVs, baking textures, and exporting optimized assets in a matter of minutes. This approach dramatically reduces the manual workload typically required in photogrammetry.[16]
Machine-learning
[edit]Embark Studios employs machine learning techniques to create more dynamic and responsive in-game animations and behaviors. At the core of this effort is a reinforcement learning-based animation system, where physically simulated agents learn to move and interact with their environment autonomously. Instead of relying on traditional, hand-authored animation blending or scripted behaviors, these AI agents learn locomotion, balance, and reactive movement by observing their own bodies and environments.This machine learning approach is notably used in ARC Raiders, where AI-controlled "ARC" bots demonstrate complex, believable behavior patterns. These bots can adapt to varying terrain, respond to physical interactions, and execute realistic animations that react to player actions and environmental changes in real time. By training these agents on specific movement goals and allowing them to learn from trial and error, Embark reduces the need for exhaustive animation libraries.[8][17][18]
Open Source
[edit]Quilkin (UDP-proxy)
[edit]In collaboration with Google Cloud, Embark developed Quilkin, an open-source UDP proxy designed for multiplayer game server infrastructure. Quilkin provides features such as traffic filtering, access control, and real-time telemetry, helping protect and monitor game servers at scale. It supports flexible deployment, including edge nodes and sidecar configurations. The project is available under the Apache 2.0 license and aims to make advanced networking capabilities more accessible to game developers.[19]
Blender
[edit]Blender serves as a cornerstone in Embarks' 3D and environment art workflows. The studio not only utilizes Blender extensively but also supports its development financially as a gold-level sponsor of the Blender Development Fund.[20] Additionally, Embark has developed and shared custom Blender add-ons, such as 'blender-tools' and 'skyhook', to enhance game development workflows.[21]
Rust
[edit]Rust is a key programming language at Embark, chosen for its safety, performance, and robust ecosystem. The studio has open-sourced several Rust-based projects, including 'kajiya', an experimental real-time global illumination renderer, and 'rust-gpu', a framework that enables writing GPU shaders in Rust.[22][23]
Controversy
[edit]AI-generated voiceovers
[edit]In late 2023, Embark Studios faced criticism over its use of AI-generated voiceovers in The Finals. The studio acknowledged employing a combination of recorded voice audio and AI-generated text-to-speech (TTS) tools, depending on the context. Embark emphasized that "making games without actors isn't an end goal" and that TTS technology has introduced new ways for the team to work together. Despite this clarification, some voice actors and players expressed concerns about the quality and implications of AI voice acting. Critics argued that AI-generated voices lacked the nuance and emotional depth of human performances, potentially impacting the gaming experience.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ Lundegårdh, Peter (2018-11-08). "EA-stjärnan Patrick Söderlund startar ny speljätte i Stockholm". Dagens industri (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Blixt, Tobias (2019-06-01). "Jätten satsar 900 miljoner på svensk doldis (som startade för ett år sedan!)". www.breakit.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-17.
- ^ "Embark Studios Employee Directory, Headcount & Staff | LeadIQ". leadiq.com. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ "Embark Studios AB | Aktiebolag | Info & Löner - Bolagsfakta". www.bolagsfakta.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Grubb, Jeff (2016-09-14). "Electronic Arts creates Worldwide Studios division and hands rising star Patrick Söderlund the keys". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Frank, Allegra (2018-08-14). "EA exec Patrick Soderlund is leaving the company". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ "Embark Studios' THE FINALS Begins a Global Closed-Beta Test March 7". Business Wire. 2023-02-23. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
- ^ a b Naavik (2024-03-07). "Embark: A Technology-First Studio". Naavik. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Valentine, Rebekah (2019-02-20). "Embark Studios grows to over 50 people, working on first title". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Russell, Jon (2019-07-01). "Nexon takes control of emerging game studio Embark via a $96M investment". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ "Embark Studios' ARC Raiders is Coming in 2025". NEXON Corporate Communications. 2024-08-21. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ "Nya spelplaner i Södra Bankohuset" (PDF). Tidningen Kulturvärden Nr 4, Statens fastighetsverk (in Swedish). 2018-04-01. p. 38. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Wallin, Philip (2019-11-29). "Embark Studios med dubbel hyra efter flytt | Fastighetsvärlden". www.fastighetsvarlden.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Rydin, Stefan (2021). "Embark Studios En game changer". Tengbom (in Swedish). Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Fernandes, Matheus (2024-02-10). "Wim". matheusfernandes.games. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Loginova, Daria (2019-05-17). "Photogrammetry at Embark Studios". 80 Level Media. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Sergeev, Arti (2021-02-28). "Embark Discusses Using Machine Learning in Animation". 80 Level Media. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Lempiäinen, Sara; Björklund, Nora; Miladi, Riley; Ju, Melody (2022-03-23). EMBARK STUDIOS: Machine Learning For Believable AI Characters. LiU Game Conference. Retrieved 2025-05-18 – via YouTube.
- ^ Mandel, Mark (2021-07-16). "Introducing Quilkin: the open-source game server proxy". Google Cloud Blog. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Thacker, Jim (2019-10-23). "Embark Studios backs Blender Development Fund". BlenderNation. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Dawe, Liam (2020-02-08). "Embark Studios, AMD and Adidas are all now supporting Blender development". GamingOnLinux. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Levine, Gloria (2024-01-04). "Embark Studios' Open-Source Tools Make Game Development Easier". 80 Level Media. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
- ^ Shadle, Jake (2019-11-08). Rust, Open Source, Game Dev (Stockholm Rust Meetup, October 2019). Retrieved 2025-05-18 – via YouTube.
- ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (2023-10-31). "Embark Responds to The Finals AI Criticism: 'Making Games Without Actors Isn't an End Goal'". IGN. Retrieved 2025-05-18.