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Daybreak Games has splintered into three “franchise first” development teams for each of its properties to continue its standing as a strong MMORPG developer (via WccfTech).
Beginning in 2018, the company had suffered several setbacks that threatened its future. Two lots of redundancies were carried out that year, leading to the loss of a third of its employees. In the latter months of 2019, Daybreak Games attempted a “realignment” to ameliorate its financial stresses, which caused an undisclosed number of layoffs, once again. “We are taking steps to improve our business and to support our long-term vision for the existing franchises and development of new games,” said the studio at the time. “This will include a realignment of the company into separate franchise teams, which will allow us to highlight their expertise, better showcase the games they work on, and ultimately provide tailored experiences for our players.”
Now, Daybreak Games has announced these new divisions that will direct the future of its games. The three teams are Dimensional Ink Games, Darkpaw Games, and Rogue Planet Games. Dimensional Ink Games is focused on DC Universe Online and will be producing a new “high-profile action MMO project.” This group is all about adaptations, and credits its motivators as, “first, Star Wars, inspired by Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers, and second, DC, one of the largest comic book IPs in the world.”
Darkpaw Games is led by EverQuest executive producer, Holly Longdale. Expectedly, this team will support EverQuest and EverQuest II, and begin work on the “next innovation” in the franchise. Finally, Rogue Planet Games is the new name for the PlanetSide studio, based in San Diego, California. “Our award-winning PlanetSide franchise changed the face of the first-person shooter forever. With PlanetSide 2, we’ve continued that legacy and crafted one of the best massively multiplayer games of all time,” read the statement from Rogue Planet Games. “Now, we look to continue building upon these revolutionary titles and provide MMOFPS players exactly what they want. Rogue Planet Games is a passionate team of FPS fanatics who are dedicated to creating and delivering unparalleled, massive-scale experiences.”
Daybreak Games stated that it was supporting those employees who had been let go, and it is hoped that this restructure turns things around for the company and it is able to rehire former developers.
