People Can Fly
Polish developer of Painkiller, Bulletstorm, and Outriders.
PCF Group S.A., trading as People Can Fly (PCF), is a Polish video game developer based in Warsaw. The studio was founded in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz, Michał Kosieradzki, and Andrzej Poznański. Its first game was Painkiller (2004).
Quick Facts
- Founded
- 1999
- Location
- Warsaw, Poland
- Founders
- Marcin Iwiński, Michał Kiciński
- Notable franchises
- Painkiller
- Gears of War
- Bulletstorm
- Ghostrunner
- Primary engine (later titles)
- Unreal Engine (2, 3, 4)
- Genre focus
- Fast-paced action
- FPS
- third-person shooter
Lore & Background
People Can Fly was founded in February 2002 by Adrian Chmielarz (previously co-founder of Metropolis Software), Michał Kosieradzki, and Andrzej Poznański. The studio's first game, Painkiller (2004), was a critical success. A deal with THQ for the game Come Midnight allowed expansion, but the game was cancelled in 2006, leaving the studio with about one month of operating capital. Epic Games acquired a majority stake in August 2007, and later bought the studio outright in August 2012. The founders left and founded 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 company employs roughly 500 people in eight locations. Its most recent game is Outriders (2021).
Reader's Guide
People Can Fly is a Polish game developer known for Painkiller (2004), Bulletstorm (2011), Gears of War: Judgment (2013), and Outriders (2021). The studio was founded in 2002, acquired by Epic Games in 2012, and became independent again in 2015.
More in Development & Legacy
Elsewhere in Painkiller
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