Splash Damage Becomes Independent from Tencent Ownership
In a significant move for the gaming industry, Splash Damage, the renowned studio behind titles like Gears Tactics and Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory, has announced its independence from Chinese tech giant Tencent. This news follows a similar departure by another Tencent-owned studio, The Chinese Room, signaling a shift in the corporate landscape for some developers.
Splash Damage has a long and respected history in the gaming world. Beyond their critically acclaimed real-time tactics game Gears Tactics, the studio was instrumental in developing the multiplayer components for both Gears of War 4 and Gears 5. They also handled the PC port of the highly popular Halo: The Master Chief Collection, demonstrating their versatile technical prowess and experience with major franchises.
A History of Acquisitions and Future Prospects
The studio's journey under Tencent began in 2020 when Tencent acquired Leyou, the Chinese firm that had purchased Splash Damage back in 2016. The period under Tencent's ownership proved challenging for the developer. Earlier this year, Splash Damage had to cancel its network action title, Transformers: Reactivate. Furthermore, updates on their survival game, codenamed Project Astrid, have been scarce, leaving fans wondering about its status.
Now, with their newfound independence, Splash Damage will be financed by a group of private investors. The studio has confirmed that its leadership team will remain unchanged, with no immediate staffing adjustments expected. While details are currently limited, as representatives from Splash Damage declined to offer further comments at this time, the move suggests a fresh start for the studio. Gamers can look forward to future announcements regarding the team's upcoming projects and strategic direction in the coming months.
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