The call no longer held ownership of the British game studio Splash Damage, which was now acquired by private equity investors. In its statement, Splash Damage confirmed that it would continue to operate under the leadership of the existing management team, but added that “there is no further comment at this time”.
Splash Damage was founded in 2001 and became known for its participation in the development of the ” Return to German Military Headquarters: After Enemies ” DLC and ” Destroyer 3 ” , and subsequently participated in the development of the War Machine series as a support studio in cooperation with Microsoft. In 2016, Splash Damage was bought at $150 million of play capital. In 2020, Splash Damage was included in the matrix of the vast studios that were launched, with approximately $1.3 billion for the acquisition of entertainment technology.
In 2021, Chief Executive Officer of Splash Damage, Chad Jolly, in an interview with the Game Industry Journal, expressed confidence in the future of the takeover: “Looking ahead, we have set an ambitious 10-year plan ahead of the acquisition, which has now accelerated. As the founder of the studio, it can be said that this is the most exciting moment for the company’s direction.” In 2022 the Splash Damage studio announced the development of the Open World Survival Game entitled “Transforming King: Restart” and in 2023 disclosed the code name “Project Astrid”. However, in January of this year, Splash Damage announced the cancellation of the Transforming Kong: Re-launching project, resulting in the risk of retrenchment of a number of jobs, without explaining the reasons for the cancellation.
Yong-yi Zhu, Vice President and Head of Business Operations, Strategy and Compliance, recently stressed to The Game Industry that the call remains dedicated to Western studios: “From our sector’s perspective, there is no exit plan. You may see a contraction in investment in certain areas, but this is a reflection of formal industry realities and dynamics.”