Krafton has acquired 100 percent of Last Epoch developer, Eleventh Hour Games.
Krafton said it was a “strategic acquisition” that aims to expand the global player base, bolster live service capabilities, and demonstrate commitment to the action RPG genre, but stressed “the team behind Last Epoch will continue to work on the game, scale development across console platforms, and expand seasonal content”. The acquisition amount “includes an initial consideration of £71.5m ($96m)”.
While the deal helps Krafton secure “a competitive franchise IP in the action RPG genre and further strengthen its position in the global market”, in turn, Eleventh Hour Games gets “the resources and infrastructure to better serve its community, ensuring that Last Epoch continues to evolve and meet the expectations of its growing player base”.
“Joining Krafton is a dream come true for Eleventh Hour Games,” said Eleventh Hour CEO, Judd Cobler. “Their deep-rooted passion for ARPGs aligns perfectly with our mission. With Krafton’s support, EHG is poised to elevate the Last Epoch franchise to even greater heights. As a studio built from players of the genre, we couldn’t be more excited for its future.”
In Eurogamer’s Last Epoch review, we awarded it a middling 3/5, writing: “A versatile build system allows for experiments with deep skill trees and unusual crafting mechanics – but after the initial excitement of creating those builds, momentum fades.”
Last week, Krafton said it “look[ed] forward to defending itself in court” after Unknown Worlds’ former leadership confirmed they would be suing the publisher after they were suddenly ousted and replaced earlier this month. The publisher also insisted that any and all decisions made about Subnautica 2 were made “to ensure it’s the best possible game and lives up to fan expectations”.