Neowiz’s subsidiary, Round8 Studio, is gunning for greatness, setting its sights on a Metacritic score of at least 85 for its upcoming titles.

During its Q1 2026 earnings call on the 11th, Neowiz announced a ramp-up in recruitment to accelerate its development pipeline. Round8 Studio is currently juggling several projects, including a follow-up to Lies of P, 'Project Rubicon' led by director Jin Seung-ho, and 'Project Windy' under director Lee Sang-kyun.

Having put itself on the map with the soulslike Lies of P, Round8 is now on a recruitment drive to bolster its ranks. Studio Head Park Sung-jun explicitly mentioned that they are committed to a 'Creator First' philosophy, which prioritizes those who genuinely love playing games.

In fact, they care more about your Steam library than a flashy CV, demanding proof of playtime to gauge your actual grasp of the genre. It is a clear signal that they want developers who don't just build games, but live and breathe them.

The studio’s 'Three Kings' motto—Quality, Person-in-charge, and Dialogue—is cut from the same cloth. They empower developers to take ownership and foster an environment where honest chatter drives quality. They are also working hard to liberate artists from repetitive drudgery, letting them focus on what they do best: creating.

When it comes to standards, Park is uncompromising: every new project must hit an 85+ on Metacritic. It is a high bar, intended to cement the studio as a mark of quality for global players. Given that Lies of P scored an 80 and its expansion, Lies of P: The Prelude, hit that 85 mark, they have already shown they have the chops.

As for the progress, both the Lies of P sequel and Project Rubicon have moved past the 'vertical slice' stage, having successfully validated their core gameplay loops. Now, it is all about polishing the experience and fine-tuning the final product.

Meanwhile, Project Windy is currently in the prototype phase, and the team is also busy with 'Project CF,' a life simulation title. Neowiz is looking to these projects to provide a serious boost to their momentum by 2027.