Keum Kang-sun, the mastermind behind Lost Ark, has officially embarked on his next creative journey.

Smilegate announced on the 20th that it has unveiled Project Orpheus (working title) and begun recruiting developers. Project Orpheus is an open-world RPG built on Unreal Engine 5. While it is confirmed for PC and console, further details remain undisclosed. A representative from Smilegate confirmed to Gamemeca, "It is difficult to share specifics at this stage, but it is indeed a new title with Director Keum Kang-sun playing a key role."

Alongside the recruitment launch, the project page features a heartfelt letter from Director Keum himself. He reflects, "We all joined the industry with big dreams of making the games we loved, but at some point, we found ourselves creating things that didn't quite align with our original intentions." He adds with a touch of earnestness, "If you still harbor a desire to build a great game and your passion hasn't been extinguished, it is time to build a game with us."

The recruitment drive covers a broad spectrum of roles, including design (Combat, System, Level, Quest, UI/UX), development (Level/Content, Combat/AI, Engine), art (TA, Character, Background, 3D Level, Animation, Cinematic, VFX), and sound (SFX, BGM). Applications are open until May 31st via the Smilegate careers portal.