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According to recent reports, NetEase Games is set to completely acquire David Cage’s Paris-based studio, Quantic Dream.
NetEase Games, which has already been a majority stakeholder of Quantic Dream since 2019 and is a formidable name in the mobile gaming ecosystem, is quickly amassing developers and studios to become one of the most noticeable AAA publishers.
Quantic Dream was founded back in 1997 by the french game developer David Cage. The studio is known for its narrative-focused titles with a substantial emotional attachment.
The studio’s most recent title, Detroit Become Human, weaved a complex narrative title with androids and artificial intelligence, while its recently announced upcoming title, Star Wars Eclipse, brings the new High Republic era of the space fantasy to life in the interactive media.
With the addition of Quantic Dream, NetEase is amassing developers and studios to become one of the most noticeable AAA publishers
NetEase Games, the Hangzhou, China-based video game publisher, is well known in the mobile gaming ecosystem. The company has recently acquired, and formed game development studios with reputable names and is shaping up to be one of the biggest names in the AAA gaming industry.
In June 2020, NetEase established a new studio called Sakura Studio to develop next-generation console games. Following this, NetEase acquired Grasshopper Manufacture from GungHo Online Entertainment in October 2021, the studio behind Chainsaw Lolipop and the No More Heroes franchise.
Earlier this year, NetEase, along with Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi, established Nagoshi Studio. According to a recent report by well-known industry insider Tom Henderson, NetEase is set to acquire Quantic Dream completely.
While Quantic Dream is not a PlayStation first-party studio in any shape or form, they have been working with PlayStation and Sony Interactive Entertainment for more than a decade.
The studio has developed five titles since its formation, with the last three, namely, Heavy Rain (2010), beyond Two Souls (2013), and Detroit Become Human (2018), being published by PlayStation and exclusive to PlayStation consoles, namely PS3 and PS4 at launch.
The studio is currently developing Star Wars Eclipse, a new narrative-focused Star Wars title that takes players to the newly established High Republic era. The Star Wars Eclipse is very early in the development stage and will not be released anytime soon.
While NetEase already owned a majority stake in the studio for an undisclosed amount back in 2019, according to the report, the Chinese publisher is set to acquire it fully.
It is unknown if David Cage will stay involved with the studio moving forward, but considering NetEase seems to be staking a developer-dependent approach by giving them creative freedom, David Cage is most likely to stick around.
