Will Perfect Dark’s development suffer turbulence from the sale of Crystal Dynamics? The initiative explains the consequences for this partnership, which started last year.
This is one of the most unexpected acquisitions: Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider) and Several Square Enix Studios were sold to Embracer Group (THQ Nordic, Gearbox…). Will this affect Perfect Dark after Crystal Dynamics and The Initiative signed an agreement to co-develop the game?
Perfect Dark still more upset?
In September 2021, Crystal Dynamics joined to help The Initiative develop the Perfect Dark reboot. Support still relevant? Yes. Despite the sale of the Tomb Raider studio that the cooperation is still standing.
We are pleased that Crystal Dynamics is taking a new step with its studio. As a co-development partner, our teams have made significant strides in the development of Perfect Dark, and We will continue the work with them in their next chapter.
If this endorsement is important, it’s because the game’s development is far from being one long, smooth river. So much so that Crystal Dynamics would play a leading role in this reboot.
A distant release on Xbox Series X | S and PC?
So Perfect Dark is at least partially “rescued”. In recent months, studio The Initiative has seen its staff melt like snow in the sun. Many developers have actually left the company, like game director Dan Neuburger. Some who had talked about it anonymously with our colleagues VGC Pointed fingers at various creatives with lack of freedom or was even not heard by management.
The collaboration with Crystal Dynamics would therefore aim to unlock the situation and in this context maintaining the partnership despite the sale of the studio is essential. And who knows, maybe the director of Days Gone, who is on the next Tomb Raider, can give his advice.
At the moment we don’t know when we will be able to see Perfect Dark gameplay. It seems unlikely that he’ll be at the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase 2022 in any meaningful way.
