People Can Fly Warsaw

Lore & Background

The studio was founded after Chmielarz left Metropolis Software in 2002. Painkiller's success led to a deal with THQ for Come Midnight, which was later cancelled, causing financial trouble. Epic Games acquired a majority share in August 2007, leading to collaborations on Bulletstorm (2011) and Gears of War: Judgment (2013). Epic bought the studio outright in August 2012; the founders left and formed The Astronauts. People Can Fly was rebranded Epic Games Poland in November 2013, then spun off under its former name in June 2015. As of December 2024, the studio's employee count and number of locations are lower than previously claimed, with publicly known figures indicating a smaller operation. Its most recent game is Outriders (2021).

Reader's Guide

People Can Fly developed Painkiller (2004), Bulletstorm (2011), Gears of War: Judgment (2013), and Outriders (2021). They also worked on Fortnite and Spyjinx after becoming independent. Cancelled projects include Come Midnight, Project Dagger, Project Gemini, and Project Bifrost.

Did You Know?

• The studio's first game was Painkiller (2004), a PC title that brought critical success.
• After the acquisition, the founders left and founded The Astronauts, which developed The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.