The Ukraine-based development studio Frogwares has received an Epic MegaGrant by Epic Games, which it will use to move its employees away from the most dangerous parts of Ukraine. Frogwares has also revealed a new game codenamed Palianytsia.
The exact sum of the MegaGrant has not been released, but Epic has capped such grants at a maximum of $500,000. In addition to aiding relocation efforts, grant will help Frogwares outfit its team with specialized equipment and migrate its data infrastructure.
"As of right now in Ukraine, the war still keeps going," Frogwares wrote in its announcement about the MegaGrant. "During this time, we as a studio need to feel strong, maintain a positive mindset, and do everything we can to keep the business operating while also providing our team with the support that they require."
Frogwares continued: "In short, the Epic MegaGrant will be used to soften the financial blow from the war and stay on our feet, and weâd like to thank Epic Games for their support during this trying time."
Shortly after announcing its receipt of the grant, Frogwares announced Palianytsia, an "eldritch horror coupled with Victorian-era mystery." The project will be on a smaller scale than the open world game it had originally planned as its next release.
Palianytsia is a type of Ukrainian bread, and Frogwares says it chose it "for Russians who often can't pronounce it correctly when trying to pass off as Ukrainian. And so now it's often used in the field as a test to quickly identify possible affiliation of unknown individuals."
In a statement, communications manager Sergey Oganesyan said, "We are revealing the game now in this way to simply show people we are pushing on, and also as a clear middle finger to those who thought they could just roll into our country hoping to disrupt and ruin our lives."
