Echtra Games, known for last year’s Torchlight 3, has been acquired by Zynga. An unannounced cross-platform RPG is being developed with Zynga’s NaturalMotion partnering with Echtra. For Zynga, the acquisition is about boosting it cross-platform portfolio while adding proprietary tools built on Unreal Engine.
CEO Frank Gibeau stated that, “Max and his team at Echtra Games are responsible for some of the most legendary game properties ever created, and they are experts in the action RPG genre and cross-platform development. I’m excited to welcome the Echtra Games team into the Zynga family. This acquisition will be instrumental in growing our iconic licenses and brands from mobile to PCs and consoles, while helping to further expand Zynga’s total addressable market.”
Echtra Games CEO Max Schaefer said, “Echtra Games is delighted to be joining the Zynga family. We share Zynga’s vision that cross-platform play is an essential part of the future of RPGs and interactive entertainment and are eager to apply our vast experience and talents to this effort.”
Though Echtra Games was founded in 2016, its team has had experience in companies like Blizzard North and Runic Games, developing titles like Diablo 1 and 2 along with Torchlight 1 and 2. It released Torchlight 3 last year for Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch to mixed reviews – you can check out ours here for more details. Whether Torchlight 3 will still receive support given the studio’s involvement in this next project remains to be seen.
In the meantime, stay tuned for more details. Other major acquisitions that have happened recently include Epic Games’ acquisition of Tonic Games Group, which owns Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout developer Mediatonic.
