NetEase Games establishes new studio Worlds Untold led by Mass Effect series writer Mac Walters

NetEase Games has announced the establishment of Worlds Untold, a new fully remote game studio based in Vancouver, Canada and led by Mass Effect series project director and lead writer Mac Walters.

Walters has over 20 years of experience in games and writing, including the Mass Effect series, and was most recently the project director on Mass Effect Legendary Edition. Prior to that, Walters was the lead writer on Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Worlds Untold aims to create new intellectual properties with “depth and possibility that can’t be contained in a single game, or even a single medium,” according to the press release. Its first project is a near-future action adventure game set in a “breathtaking world filled with mystery and exploration.”

“We’re creating incredible and meaningful stories that we believe are best told and experienced through play,” said Worlds Untold CEO Mac Walters in the press release. “We are starting by crafting worlds that we all dream of discovering and then will put the player in the leading role of the most unforgettable adventures. The team at NetEase Games shares our vision and passion to utilize leading edge technology to create the best possible new games. Their teams’ support and creative freedom affords us the opportunity to deliver on that vision.”

NetEase Games president of global investments and partnerships Simon Zhu added, “NetEase Games believes in empowering creators to think outside the box and to help execute their vision as seamlessly as possible. Worlds Untold is building a team of highly experienced individuals to develop new worlds and action adventure games for all and we are excited to see what Mac and the team produce.”

Other industry veterans joining Walters at Worlds Untold include:

• Sotaro Tojima (audio director) – Has over 20 years of experience in video game audio on titles such as Metal Gear Solid and Halo
• Elizabeth Lehtonen (head of production) – Has worked on the Dragon Age, The Sims, and Angry Birds franchises
• Ramil Sunga (head of art) – Has more than two decades of creative experience in various concept art roles on Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, and the entire series of Dragon Age titles
• Ben Goldstein (head of technology) – Has nearly two decades in the games industry leading projects such as the Xbox One version of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, the PlayStation 4 version of For Honor, and most recently worked at Tesla and Cruise building out their respective simulation platforms

Visit the Worlds Untold official website here. The studio is also available on Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.