What is really going on with that acquisition of the Spellbreak studio, Proletariat?

[Stricks]

I personally think that this was done for a grander reason than just pumping out more expansions. Is it possible they are revamping something?

Just getting others thoughts...

[Firefall]

Is it possible they are revamping something?

Just getting others thoughts...

So I'm not certain on this, it's just speculation, but it's possible that they are releasing another expansion. Maybe it is going to be about dragons. Now you didn't hear this from me, it's top secret, but there may even be a new class that is a dragon person!!

Also a ton of people quit/were fired.

[Relapses]

Proletariat was tits up regardless of Blizzard's intervention. If anything, the acquisition helped a number of talented game devs keep their employment. Even said, it is plainly evident from the outward-facing communication from Blizzard that the primary motivating factor was helping get DF shipped before EOY. Is it possible they'll spin off the people they acquired from Proletariat into something else post-DF? I suppose anything's possible but considering the company failed at creating its own lasting IP I doubt it.

[Magistrate]

So I'm not certain on this, it's just speculation, but it's possible that they are releasing another expansion. Maybe it is going to be about dragons. Now you didn't hear this from me, it's top secret, but there may even be a new class that is a dragon person!!

Also a ton of people quit/were fired.

DF has been in the works for a couple years. The new studio was brought on in....may of this year? There would also likely be a couple months of familiarizing themselves with blizzards proprietary tools, and with the artists adjusting their techniques, etc. I'd guess the first things they contribute to significantly will be in a patch.

There were the mass layoffs--there were two big ones--but they weren't on devs or artists afaik. Most of the senior leadership that left left after a decade or more with the company, which is highly uncommon these days for anyone to work somewhere so long. There were good substantive reasons many of them likely left when they did, but you're not replacing 20 year vets with new bloods.

I'd like a complete new version of the game. The details of that and whether it should or shouldn't happen have been discussed to death and I'm not getting into that here. But in this case, idk, I'd take them at their word this is more about content than anything else esp with the SL content drought. Classic releases can't keep saving their monthly online user numbers--after a certain point they just need to make a more appealing retail.

[Stricks]

So I'm not certain on this, it's just speculation, but it's possible that they are releasing another expansion. Maybe it is going to be about dragons. Now you didn't hear this from me, it's top secret, but there may even be a new class that is a dragon person!!

Also a ton of people quit/were fired.

You may not be certain of much, but I am certain that you have no idea how games are developed if you believe they were brought in during Q2 of this year to start development on Dragonflight and we have an Alpha in Q3...

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Proletariat was tits up regardless of Blizzard's intervention. If anything, the acquisition helped a number of talented game devs keep their employment. Even said, it is plainly evident from the outward*facing communication from Blizzard that the primary motivating factor was helping get DF shipped before EOY. Is it possible they'll spin off the people they acquired from Proletariat into something else post-DF? I suppose anything's possible but considering the company failed at creating its own lasting IP I doubt it.

Good take, this is what I was looking for in other opinions. I just think that they specifically targeted the company that created Spellbreak for a purpose. Many game development companies go out of business every month I am sure, but they were targeted which may mean more in my opinion.

[enigma77]

Proletariat was tits up regardless of Blizzard's intervention. If anything, the acquisition helped a number of talented game devs keep their employment. Even said, it is plainly evident from the outward*facing communication from Blizzard that the primary motivating factor was helping get DF shipped before EOY. Is it possible they'll spin off the people they acquired from Proletariat into something else post-DF? I suppose anything's possible but considering the company failed at creating its own lasting IP I doubt it.

wtf is EOY?

/10char

[Neverafter]

wtf is EOY?

/10char

End of year

[Firefall]

You may not be certain of much, but I am certain that you have no idea how games are developed if you believe they were brought in during Q2 of this year to start development on Dragonflight and we have an Alpha in Q3...

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Good take, this is what I was looking for in other opinions. I just think that they specifically targeted the company that created Spellbreak for a purpose. Many game development companies go out of business every month I am sure, but they were targeted which may mean more in my opinion.

I literally have ABK on my resume but sure let's go with that.

[loras]

I personally think that this was done for a grander reason than just pumping out more expansions. Is it possible they are revamping something?

Just getting others thoughts...

I see it as an attempt to "repair" something, mostly the team doing class, combat and broader interaction design for WoW.

After Legion some moronic manager had clearly snuck in the excuse that they would just continue to iterate on what they had then, since it was good, and that the class designers were thus let go / repositioned.

Additionally the whole sexual harassment nonsense cost a few too many actually capable people their jobs, so those too needed to be replaced.

Personally i'm quite happy with the choice for Proletariat, the design philosophies i see in their game systems seem solid.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

"What is going on with that acquisition..."


>proceeds to post that they have no idea

[Somic]

I personally think that this was done for a grander reason than just pumping out more expansions. Is it possible they are revamping something?

Just getting others thoughts...

Didn’t they state they did this to have a larger team at blizzard to also just release new titles? I thought with this acquisition they announced they want a survival game, an rpg, a new shooter, or something of that nature.

[Lochton]

I personally think that this was done for a grander reason than just pumping out more expansions. Is it possible they are revamping something?

Just getting others thoughts...

Uhm... The goal was to add their team to the WoW teams for future development and production of WoW content, as they said?

[Cheezits]

Mike Ybarra mentioned they are there to help speed up WoW content, in direct response to the Shadowlands content delays.

Additional workforce could hint at a revamp but it's no confirmation.

[Unholyground]

Expansions are generally developed in tandem now. The expansion after dragonflight is already in its early stages.

[sunxsera]

I personally think that this was done for a grander reason than just pumping out more expansions. Is it possible they are revamping something?

Just getting others thoughts...

Have you seen how many people left blizzard? Hundreds.
They also have problems recruiting new people. So, the economically easiest way was to integrate an allready functioning team.
I don't think there is more to it.

[Edge-]

I just think that they specifically targeted the company that created Spellbreak for a purpose. Many game development companies go out of business every month I am sure, but they were targeted which may mean more in my opinion.

Because the team at Blizzard likely knew many devs there and was impressed with their work.

Worth remembering: Activision-Blizzard has had a helluva time hiring staff since the lawsuits started rolling out last year, to the point where apparently recruiters were asking Blizzard staffers to stop being critical of the company on their social media accounts because it was driving potential new-hires away.

This acquisition is a big way of resolving some of that issue with a load of new employees all coming on board from a company that was about to shutter.

[Wrecktangle]

I loved Spellbreak, but hated how bad I was at it. I never even got a chance to get better at it either. Did they ever add matchmaking to it? I loved going up against 4-6 TTV tags with alpha only skins and 2000+ hours in the game on my second ever match.