Chinese tech and media company NetEase has officially bought SkyBox Labs, a developer based in Canada. At a time when acquisitions are becoming more commonplace in the gaming industry, NetEase also appears to be following a similar strategy as the gaming giant adds the co-developer of Halo Infinite to its portfolio.
While most may be familiar with SkyBox Labs for its work on Halo Infinite, the studio has also worked on other titles such as Minecraft and Fallout 76. NetEase, on the other hand, is no stranger to notable projects, having partnered with the likes of Marvel and Pokemon for multiple games in the past. The company has even joined hands with Bungie for a new IP. With the SkyBox acquisition, NetEase may be gearing up for a more ambitious play.
The company officially announced the news on January 6, stating that its gaming division NetEase Games has acquired the Canadian studio. The announcement further mentioned that the Fallout 76 co-developer would continue to operate independently under NetEase Games' leadership, where NetEase will offer resources to help SkyBox scale its work faster. As SkyBox Labs co-founder Shyang Kong puts it, by joining NetEase, his company will be able to accelerate plans to explore "new creative opportunities" as well as "enjoy access to world-class operational resources and the full breadth and depth of NetEase’s services" to help the studio scale faster in Canada.
Of course, this isn't the first acquisition for the Chinese company. Back in 2021, NetEase acquired No More Heroes and The Silver Case developer Grasshopper Manufacture. The following year, NetEase bought Quantic Dream, the French studio behind Heavy Rain and the upcoming Star Wars Eclipse. The company had previously bought a minority stake in Quantic Dream back in 2019. As of now, it's unclear if NetEase is eyeing more studios to bring under its arm. But it wouldn't be surprising to hear of another similar announcement, considering NetEase's recent trajectory.
But not everything has been all acquisitions and high-profile hires for the Chinese company. Recently, Riot Games sued NetEase in the UK as well as in other countries such as Germany, Brazil, and Singapore over allegations that its Hyper Front game is a copy of Riot's Valorant. Though it will be quite a while to expect any outcome, considering how challenging it is to prove copyright infringement. Regardless, it's shaping up to be an interesting road ahead for NetEase, particularly amid the current gaming landscape.
Source: NetEase