Chinese tech giant buys Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream

Chinese tech giant buys Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream

Image: Quantic Dream

Quantic Dream, the game developers behind titles like Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain, has been acquired by the Chinese technology giant NetEase (via CNBC). In a blog post, the French game studio announced that it will continue to operate independently despite joining the company.

While Quantic Dream has just a handful of games under its belt over the 25 years it’s been around, it’s currently working on a new Star Wars: Eclipse action-adventure game that’s set in the High Republic Era. The studio says the acquisition should help it expand its team and “develop several projects simultaneously.”

NetEase is a China-based internet technology company with a growing division dedicated to PC, console, and mobile games. It first became a minority shareholder in Quantic Dream in 2019, shortly after the release of Detroit: Becoming Human. Quantic Dream joins a growing list of game companies that NetEase has acquired and marks its first studio located in Europe.

In January, NetEase backed a new studio from the creators of the Yakuza series and worked with the design lead on Halo Infinite to form Jar of Sparks. It also acquired Grasshopper Manufacture, the Suda51-owned studio behind Lollipop Chainsaw and No More Heroes, and also invested in a studio run by Fallout veteran Jeff Gardiner. In China, the company publishes Blizzard titles, such as Diablo Immortal and World of Warcraft.