For the past two console cycles, developer Quantic Dream has remained a dedicated studio solely for releasing new projects for PlayStation. This strands from releases Heavy Rain to Detroit: Become Human, however, that appeared to change later on in 2019. Chinese firm NetEase acquired a stake in the Canadian game studio which enabled the team to work on releasing PC ports of the games.

At the time, it was even perceived potentially shipping said titles for Xbox later down the road. As of reporting, that has yet to manifest now years later. But, that does not mean other alternatives could take place. Look at Death Stranding: the game recently came to PC Game Pass which also included respected achievements on the Windows Store. So what is to say it cannot come to the service if its behind separate publisher than Sony Interactive Entertainment?

Well, this week NetEase announced its full acquisition of Quantic Dream. Previously, the stake led on to the team’s full-on independence to becoming a “boutique publisher”. This was even verified in a following statement with new ventures on the way. Now, the developer is a subsidiary of the Chinese firm.

To continue to evolve and dream big, as we embark on “our next 25 years”, we are delighted to announce that we will be joining NeEase Games, which is becoming a 100% shareholder of Quantic Dream. We will retain our independence in terms of our editorial line, the artistic direction of our projects and the management of the studio. Our teams, who are fully involved in this operation and who benefit directly financially, are of course fully preserved and will continue to grow and strengthen. 

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. 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. 

“In order to continue our development and presence in the world, but also to fund other studios and become an international publisher, larger investments are needed for us to keep building our technology and infrastructure, to deliver ever more impressive next-generation games, to expand our team and to develop several projects simultaneously,” the blog post elaborates further.

“Quantic Dream has always been particularly attached to its creative freedom and independence. This freedom has allowed us to create different games, to develop our proprietary technology, to equip ourselves with an infrastructure dedicated to our needs, and above all to create the games we dreamed of for millions of players.”

Are you surprised with the new announcement from NetEase & Quantic Dream?

Source: Quantic Dream