Microsoft announces that Double Fine Productions has been acquired by the company, dropping a brand-new Psychonauts 2 trailer to celebrate. Xbox Game Studios has been growing recently, with plenty of noteworthy acquisitions helping to beef up Xbox's first-party lineup. Proven developers like Ninja Theory and Obsidian were major additions to Xbox Game Studios most recently, but E3 2019 looked to flesh out the lineup even further.
It was inevitable, then, that Xbox would buy more studios as it prepares for a content-focused future in the gaming industry. Speculation was running rampant in regards to which developers may be up for grabs, and now gamers finally know which games they have to look forward to under the Xbox Game Studios banner.
It was confirmed during Xbox's E3 2019 press conference that Double Fine studios will be joining Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios lineup. The studio is known for making some of the more out-there games around, like Brutal Legend, Psychonauts, and Costume Quest. The biggest game being worked on by the company was Psychonauts 2 prior to the acquisition, which the pair released a new trailer for after the big news.
There is a lot of potential with this newly acquired studio. Double Fine is notorious for delivering out-there experiences that engage with players in a different way. Tim Schafer also has a long history within the industry, providing fans with cult classics like Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandango – both of which have been remastered by Double Fine. As a result, it's going to be very interesting to see what comes from the studio and how that benefits the Xbox brand.
There are other projects that the studio has in the works, namely RAD which was announced for Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, Microsoft and Nintendo have developed what appears to be a strong working relationship, which likely means that that game will release without any interruption. It's so strong, in fact, that there are rumours that a Microsoft-owned character may be joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
With details on Xbox Scarlett dropping during E3 2019 as well, Double Fine should prove to be a valuable asset. Microsoft's Netflix for games service, xCloud, will also benefit from the purchase. Hopefully, more details on future projects from the company arrive in the near future, but Double Fine seems like a perfect studio to work with one other Xbox Games Studio in particular, Rare. Maybe something will happen there.
Source: Double Fine