Activision’s mysterious new studio, Elsewhere Entertainment, has been working in the shadows since its formation in May 2024. Now, thanks to gaming insider eXtas1s, we’re getting our first real look at what they’ve been cooking up – and it sounds absolutely wild. The leaked details describe a third-person open-world RPG that’s aiming to compete directly with giants like GTA and Cyberpunk 2077, but with a magical twist that could set it apart from anything else on the market.
According to the leak shared on January 27, 2026, the game features a contemporary setting infused with fantasy elements, fluid combat combining parkour with firearms and magic spells, realistic destruction physics, and multiplayer functionality. It’s an ambitious scope for a brand-new studio, even one backed by Activision’s considerable resources.
Breaking Down the Leaked Details
The most striking aspect of Elsewhere Entertainment’s project is how it’s positioning itself as a competitor to two of gaming’s biggest open-world titans. The third-person perspective immediately sets it apart from GTA 6, which maintains its traditional third-person camera but doesn’t feature the magical elements or parkour-heavy movement system described in these leaks.
The combat system sounds particularly intriguing. Players will reportedly be able to engage enemies using a combination of parkour movements, firearms, melee weapons, and magical abilities – all governed by a stats-based system. This blend of modern weaponry and fantasy magic in a contemporary setting creates an interesting gameplay cocktail that hasn’t been fully explored in the AAA space since games like Infamous or Prototype.
Realistic destruction physics add another layer of complexity. If implemented well, this could mean environments that react dynamically to both gunfire and magical attacks, creating emergent gameplay moments where players can use the environment tactically. The mention of “lifelike vehicles” suggests that transportation and possibly vehicular combat will play a significant role, much like in GTA and Cyberpunk.
Who’s Behind Elsewhere Entertainment
Elsewhere Entertainment was officially announced by Activision in May 2024 as a standalone internal studio headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with additional resources in the United States. The timing of the announcement was somewhat controversial – it came just one week after Microsoft closed four game studios including Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin, making it a bittersweet moment for the industry.
However, the talent behind the studio is genuinely impressive. The team consists of veteran developers who previously worked on some of gaming’s most acclaimed narrative-driven titles, including The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny, Tom Clancy’s The Division, and Far Cry. This pedigree explains why Activision is positioning Elsewhere Entertainment as a studio capable of creating a “narrative-based and genre-defining AAA franchise.”
The studio’s mission statement emphasizes creating “a franchise with an enduring legacy that resonates far beyond games,” suggesting transmedia ambitions similar to The Last of Us’s successful HBO adaptation. Activision has given Elsewhere Entertainment unfettered access to the company’s extensive resources and tools, signaling serious corporate investment in this new IP.
Why Poland for a New Studio
Warsaw has quietly become one of Europe’s most significant gaming hubs. CD Projekt, the studio behind The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077, is based there, as is 11 Bit Studios, creators of This War of Mine and Frostpunk. When Elsewhere Entertainment was announced, Larian Studios – fresh off the massive success of Baldur’s Gate 3 – also opened its seventh studio in Warsaw.
The Polish gaming industry benefits from strong technical education programs, relatively lower development costs compared to Western Europe and North America, and a culture that has produced some of gaming’s most ambitious projects. For Activision, establishing Elsewhere Entertainment in Warsaw gives them access to this talent pool while potentially keeping development costs more manageable for an experimental new IP.
The GTA and Cyberpunk Comparison
Positioning a new game as a competitor to GTA and Cyberpunk is both bold and risky. GTA 6 is expected to be the largest game launch in history when it releases in November 2026, and Cyberpunk 2077 – despite its rocky launch – has evolved into one of the most beloved open-world RPGs available, especially after the Phantom Liberty expansion.
What could give Elsewhere Entertainment’s project an edge is the magical fantasy elements in a contemporary setting. Both GTA and Cyberpunk are grounded in relatively realistic worlds (even with Cyberpunk’s futuristic technology). A game that lets players use magic spells alongside firearms, with parkour movement reminiscent of games like Dying Light or Forspoken, could carve out its own niche.
The parkour system in particular could be a differentiator. Fluid movement has been a requested feature for GTA games for years, and while Cyberpunk has decent parkour mechanics, they’re not the focus of gameplay. If Elsewhere Entertainment can nail the feeling of seamlessly combining magical parkour with combat – imagine casting spells mid-wall-run while shooting enemies below – it could create gameplay loops that feel genuinely fresh.
Multiplayer Ambitions
The mention of multiplayer functionality is particularly interesting given Activision’s history. While the company is synonymous with Call of Duty’s massively successful multiplayer, creating a compelling multiplayer experience in an open-world RPG is a different challenge entirely.
Could this be Activision’s answer to GTA Online? That multiplayer component has generated billions of dollars for Rockstar Games, and it’s likely that Activision sees similar potential in their new IP. CD Projekt Red has also been rumored to be working on multiplayer for Project Orion, the codename for the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, suggesting the industry sees opportunity in this space.
The combination of stats-based RPG progression and multiplayer could mean anything from co-op story missions to competitive PvP modes to a full-fledged shared-world experience. Given the team’s experience with Destiny and The Division – both games that successfully blend RPG mechanics with multiplayer – Elsewhere Entertainment has the expertise to pull this off.
When Could We See More
Here’s where expectations need to be managed. Elsewhere Entertainment was only established in May 2024, meaning the studio has been in operation for less than two years. Even with Activision’s resources and a team of industry veterans, creating a genre-defining AAA open-world game takes time – typically 4-6 years or more.
The game likely won’t see release until 2028 or 2029 at the earliest, and we probably won’t see an official reveal until at least 2027. These leaks give us an early glimpse, but the game is almost certainly still in relatively early development. Features could change, be added, or be cut as development progresses.
It’s worth noting that eXtas1s, the source of these leaks, has a mixed track record. The insider has been accurate with some Game Pass-related information and previously leaked details about games like Oblivion Remastered. However, reliability for non-Game Pass information has been questioned in gaming communities. Without official confirmation from Activision or Elsewhere Entertainment, these details should be treated as unverified rumors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Elsewhere Entertainment working on?
According to leaked information, Elsewhere Entertainment is developing a third-person open-world RPG set in a contemporary world with fantasy elements. The game reportedly features combat combining parkour, firearms, melee weapons, and magic, along with multiplayer functionality.
When was Elsewhere Entertainment founded?
Activision officially announced the formation of Elsewhere Entertainment in May 2024. The studio is headquartered in Warsaw, Poland, with additional resources in the United States.
Who works at Elsewhere Entertainment?
The studio consists of veteran developers who previously worked on acclaimed titles including The Last of Us, Uncharted, The Witcher, Cyberpunk 2077, Destiny, Tom Clancy’s The Division, and Far Cry.
Is Elsewhere Entertainment making a Call of Duty game?
No, Activision has confirmed that Elsewhere Entertainment is working on an entirely new IP that is not related to the Call of Duty franchise. This marks a significant departure from Activision’s typical focus.
When will Elsewhere Entertainment’s game be released?
No release date has been announced. Given that the studio was only founded in May 2024, the game likely won’t release until 2028 or 2029 at the earliest, as AAA open-world games typically require 4-6 years or more of development time.
How reliable are these leaks about Elsewhere Entertainment’s game?
The information comes from gaming insider eXtas1s, who has a mixed track record. While they’ve been accurate with some previous leaks, these details should be treated as unverified rumors until officially confirmed by Activision or Elsewhere Entertainment.
Will the game compete with GTA 6 and Cyberpunk 2077?
According to the leaks, the game is being designed as a competitor to GTA and Cyberpunk. However, the addition of fantasy elements, magic-based combat, and parkour mechanics suggests it’s aiming to differentiate itself rather than directly replicate those games.
What makes Elsewhere Entertainment’s game different from other open-world games?
The reported combination of contemporary setting with fantasy elements, fluid parkour-based movement, magic spells alongside firearms, realistic destruction physics, and multiplayer functionality could create a unique gameplay experience not fully explored in current AAA titles.
An Ambitious Vision
If these leaks are accurate, Elsewhere Entertainment is swinging for the fences with their debut project. Creating an open-world game that successfully blends contemporary settings with fantasy magic, combines parkour with traditional combat, and incorporates meaningful multiplayer is no small feat. The studio has the pedigree to potentially pull it off, with veterans from some of gaming’s most successful narrative and multiplayer franchises.
What makes this project particularly intriguing is how it could fill a gap in the current gaming landscape. While we have plenty of realistic open-world games and plenty of fantasy RPGs, there aren’t many AAA titles that successfully merge these elements in a contemporary setting with the kind of fluid, physics-based gameplay described in these leaks. If Elsewhere Entertainment can execute on this vision, they might create something truly special that stands apart from both GTA’s criminal sandbox and Cyberpunk’s dystopian future.