Sharkmob, a Swedish studio founded two years ago by former Ubisoft Massive developers (the head studio behind Ubisoft’s The Division), has been acquired by Chinese multimedia and tech giant Tencent. The announcement came today that the studio had been purchased for an undisclosed amount. It also came with the news that the studio is working on several projects, including a potential cult classic franchise.
Sharkmob CEO Fredrik Rundqvist talked to GamesBeat about the acquisition and the projects they’re working on. The company seems optimistic about the new ownership, thinking the vast technologic resources will help them realize the potential for their projects, which seem to be online-focused. He doesn’t go into detail about any of the projects, but does say one is from a “cult classic” IP that Sharkmob hopes will turn into a franchise. He also thinks the Tencent connection could be key, as their games are going to have a lot of social elements.
“What we play privately, the kind of games we love, are very social, very competitive, always multiplayer,” said Rundqvist. “The more the merrier. Of course, in our opinion, the pure mechanics of that are not interesting if you don’t have the right IP, the right setting, the right fantasy to get people really excited about the game mechanics we provide. I guess that also gives you a hint as to what kind of game we’re making.”
A lot of talent is in the company, so it’ll be interesting to see what they come up with. With Tencent behind them, no doubt they have the resources to realize whatever it is.