Founded in 2011 and based in the cities of Victoria and Burnaby in Canada, SkyBox Labs has earned a good reputation by working with renowned publishers on titles such as Halo Infinite, Minecraft, Fallout 76 and EA Sports UFC. More discreet, its catalog of original creations includes the platform game Stela and the strategy game Tastee: Lethal Tactics. Importantly, the acquisition of this studio by NetEase Games will not prevent it from continuing to work with its current partners, in particular Xbox Game Studios, and from concluding agreements with other publishers. “With support from NetEase Games, SkyBox Labs will continue to operate independently, working closely with existing and new partners to seek creative opportunities and co-develop games on consoles and PC.“, says the press release from a Chinese giant in full international conquest, which intends to help SkyBox Labs to develop faster, always under the direction of its three co-founders, Shyang Kong, Derek MacNeil and Steven Silvester.
NetEase Games, an ever more varied family of studios
For NetEase Games, this acquisition follows those of Grasshopper Manufacture (Japan) and Quantic Dream (France) and especially the creation of numerous structures such as Sakura Studio (Japan), Nagoshi Studio (Japan), Jackalope Games (United States) , Jar of Sparks (United States) and NetEase Games Montreal (Canada) which publishes Naraka: Bladepoint in the West. By acquiring SkyBox Labs, the publisher in full international expansion will benefit from a new strategic base in Canada, an oh so important territory in the production of AAA video games. The press release insists on certain local opportunities. “NetEase and SkyBox Labs are committed to supporting local communities in Canada, by participating in cultural events and other activities“, can we read.
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