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Victoria game studio swallowed up by China behemoth

Victoria game studio swallowed up by China behemoth
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A Victoria videogame maker has been bought. (Pexels photo)

A videogame studio in Victoria has been swallowed up by a China behemoth.

Founded in 2011, SkyBox Labs is a game studio based in Burnaby and Victoria, that has developed titles alongside Xbox Game Studios, Wizards of the Coast, and Electronic Arts.

It has been acquired by NetEase Games.

SkyBox Labs will continue to operate independently within NetEase Games, said a news release, under the leadership of its three co-founders Shyang Kong, Derek MacNeil and Steven Silvester, and provide a full range of game development services to current and future partners.

“Over the last decade, we’ve had the pleasure to work on beloved games such as Halo Infinite, Minecraft, and Fallout 76,” said Kong. “We remain committed to growing our presence in Canada, supporting our current and future partners, and co-developing more AAA games for some of the biggest game studios around the world. We have built a team of talented individuals who are passionate and creative, and by joining NetEase Games, we will also be able to accelerate our plans to pursue new creative opportunities, and enjoy access to world-class operational resources and the full breadth and depth of NetEase’s services so we can scale faster in Canada.”

Simon Zhu, president of global investment and partnerships, NetEase Games, said: “We are thrilled to welcome SkyBox Labs to the NetEase Games family and are committed to creating an environment that allows them to thrive and operate independently as a game studio. We were impressed with their extensive experience in game development and are great admirers of their past work on some of the world’s leading franchises.”

NetEase said there are no plans to close any SkyBox Labs studios – instead it expects to add more staff.

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Chris Campbell

About the Author: Chris Campbell

I joined the Victoria News hub as an editor in 2023, bringing with me over 30 years of experience from community newspapers in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley
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