With recent reports that NetEase might have begun scaling back on its non-Chinese investments, CEO and creative director of Anchor Point Studios Paul Ehreth has revealed that the studio is “still full steam ahead” when it comes to working on its first game.
Taking to social media platform X, Ehreth spoke about the recent reports surrounding NetEase and its international investments, as well as a host of studios being shut down. He revealed that Anchor Point Studios itself hasn’t been affected by any of the studio closures, and referred to NetEase as a great partner.
“Due to recent news of multiple studio closures, we’ve had many friends and fans reach out to us out of concern,” posted Ehreth on X. “After responding to each of them, I wanted to make a more formal statement that Anchor Point Studios has not been affected by any studio closures, and we are still full steam ahead building our game.”
Ehreth goes on to talk about the volatile state of the gaming industry right now in the lengthy X post. Despite this, however, Anchor Point Studios is still growing, and complete with “several positions open” for work on its debut game.
“So far, NetEase has been a great partner for us, giving us creative control and development support, and we look forward to the prospect of shipping an exceptional game together in the future,” he wrote. “While it may be stormy seas at the moment for the industry, we are very much still growing, and we have several positions open for anyone looking for a safe harbor. Come join us – Per Aspera, Ad Astra!”
Anchor Point Studios was founded back in 2023 by industry veteran Ehreth, who has previously worked on major titles in his 20 years in game development. Ehreth has worked on games like Control, Halo 4, and Halo 5: Guardians. He is joined in the studio by Pete Torrents, who has worked on Halo, Ghost of Tsushima, The Division, and Red Dead Redemption 2.
Anchor Point Studios has two primary studios based out of Barcelona, Spain, and Seattle, United States. Back when the studio was founded, Ehreth expressed thanks to NetEase Games for giving the studio the creative freedom it needed, along with the resource to “build this interconnected world that will expand beyond games and reach into other mediums.”
The studio’s debut game doesn’t yet have a name, but considering the talent behind the studio and the resources it has been provided by NetEase, it will likely be a major AAA project.
Reports about NetEase starting to pull out of some of its international investments came about earlier this month. Along with the closure of an R&D-centric studio that worked on Marvel Rivals, NetEase is also pulling out on other investments, which analysts believe is because of a number of factors, including market volatility and geopolitical tensions.
For its part, NetEase has been steadfast about its games, including its massively successful competitive shooter Marvel Rivals. The company is also working with studios on a host of other games, including FragPunk and Ananta. For context, NetEase also has stakes in companies like Devolver Digital, and outright owns studios like Quantic Dreams and Grasshopper Manufacture.
Due to recent news of multiple studio closures, we’ve had many friends and fans reach out to us out of concern. After responding to each of them, I wanted to make a more formal statement that Anchor Point Studios has not been affected by any studio closures, and we are still full…
— Paul Ehreth ⚓️🌱🌺🥀💀✨ (@bacon_sanwich) February 24, 2025
