Blizzard announced its intentions to acquire the former Spellbreak developers 'Proletariat.' This announcement came following Proletariat's announcement that it will be ending the development of its fantasy battle royale game Spellbreak. Spellbreak originally launched in Alpha in 2018 as a multiplayer battle royale that allowed players to take control of an elemental battle mage that can command magic spells to overcome their enemies.
Blizzard hopes to leverage Proletariat's development team and development experience to bolster its 'World of Warcraft' title. The company did not include details on what exactly Proletariat would do for World of Warcraft, though Blizzard did note that Proletariat would be tasked with "bringing more high quality content to our players more often," meaning Proletariat will likely work on events, expansions, and patches.
Development Studio Acquisitions
Blizzard is Acquiring the Spellbreak Developers 'Proletariat'
Trend Themes
1. Development Studio Acquisitions - The trend of large gaming companies acquiring smaller development studios to enhance their existing titles and expand their market share presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation through collaboration and new IP creation.
2. Cross-ip Collaboration - Developers acquiring other developers with different expertise and intellectual property presents an opportunity for cross-IP collaboration, allowing for new games and experiences that combine different genres and styles.
3. Crowdsourced Development - Acquiring indie developers that gained popularity through crowdsourced funding or grassroots support presents an opportunity for larger companies to tap into a dedicated fanbase and involve community members in the development process.
Industry Implications
1. Gaming - The gaming industry is ripe for disruptive innovation through acquisitions of smaller, up-and-coming development studios that offer expertise in niche genres or innovative gameplay mechanics.
2. Entertainment - The trend of acquiring niche content creators and development studios presents an opportunity for the entertainment industry to expand its market share and offer a wider range of experiences to consumers.
3. Technology - Acquisitions of development studios can provide established technology companies with access to new talent, expertise, and intellectual property, opening up opportunities for innovation in product development and expansion into new markets.