In a surprise announcement, today Epic Games announced a new publishing deal with three developers; gen DESIGN (The Last Guardian), Playdead (Inside, Limbo) and Remedy Entertainment.
Each studio will be retaining IP rights to the titles they make with Epic Games, and development will be entirely funded by the publishers. In return, both companies split the profits from the sales 50/50. For Remedy who is still an independent studio relying on publishing deals and game sales, it's a major deal for them, particularly as it allows complete control over their IP, an aspect they wanted to ensure going ahead.
While neither studio delved into what games are under development, we do know a few details about what kind of deal it is. Epic Games is funding two games by Remedy; one is a AAA-title already in pre-production which Sam Lake (Creative Director at Remedy) describes as the "most ambitious". That title has previously been referred to as the "third unannounced title" in press releases and financial reports published by the studio over the past year. The other title is a smaller-scale project set in the same franchise. Both titles are being developed with the Northlight engine and tools.
In the press release, Remedy's CEO, Tero Virtala commented on the new partnership stating, “Remedy and Epic Games share a history of 25 years in the games industry as well as a deep understanding of the business from the developer’s and the publisher’s point of view. We are excited to form a partnership with Epic Games Publishing and bring two new games to the global audience. This partnership provides us full creative freedom to deliver our bold vision to the fullest. Together with Epic, we believe we are going to create the best Remedy games yet for our fans."
Epic Games' CEO, Tim Sweeney, also issued a statement “We have a long history and relationship with Remedy, going on more than two decades. They’re such an incredibly talented studio with a unique and strong creative vision, and we’re excited to support them with our publishing efforts.”
