NetEase has acquired Paris-based studio Quantic Dream, best known for creating narrative-heavy games including Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain.
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While the price of this acquisition has not been disclosed, NetEase has held a minority investment in Quantic Dream since 2019.
The purchase will mean that the company will be NetEase’s first studio in Europe, though in a statement, Quantic Dream confirmed it will “retain our independence in terms of our editorial line, the artistic direction of our projects and the management of the studio.”
“NetEase Games is committed to supporting the innovation and development of video games worldwide, and it is within this framework that Quantic Dream will continue to grow,” continued the statement. “We will still operate independently, maintain the ability to create and self-publish our video games on all platforms, and continue to support and publish titles developed by third parties.”
Speaking to GamesBeat, Quantic Dream co-CEO David Cage shared that his studio has fielded several acquisition offers in the past. Continuing, co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière explained why the studio chose to go with NetEase:
“NetEase’s proposal made a lot of sense to us precisely because they were already a minority shareholder of Quantic Dream since 2019. We had started to work together; we knew the organization and the people working there and had established a mutual trust and respect. We had the opportunity to witness how like-minded we are, sharing the same vision and ambition for the studio.”
Looking ahead, de Fondaumière said the studio – which is currently working on a Star Wars game – has “ambitious plans to continue growing our team in the future.”
Earlier in the month, Cage denied allegations of toxic workplace culture at Quantic Dream, after winning a libel suit against French newspaper Le Monde in 2021.
In other gaming news, PUBG Mobile is getting a Dragon Ball crossover.
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