NetEase Acquires French Game Developer and Publisher Quantic Dream

NetEase, a leading internet technology company based in China, announced on August 31 that its games division, NetEase Games, has acquired French game developer and publisher Quantic Dream S.A.

Quantic Dream will become NetEase Games’ first studio in Europe. It will continue to operate independently, focusing on creating and publishing its video games on all platforms. The company will also support and publish third-party developed titles while leveraging NetEase‘s significant game development capabilities.

Quantic Dream is a multi-award-winning studio that was established 25 years ago in Paris, France. It is the creator of iconic games such as Heavy Rainä, Beyond: Two Soulsä and Detroit: Become Humanä. It is currently working on three new in-house projects, including Star Wars Eclipse, which is being developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.

Quantic Dream, which develops its own proprietary technologies, is also known for its pioneering use of motion capture to bring actors’ performances to life in ways never seen before in video games. NetEase originally acquired a minority stake in Quantic Dream in 2019.

“NetEase Games first invested in Quantic Dream three years ago,” said Guillaume de Fondaumière, Co-CEO and Head of Publishing for Quantic Dream. “Over this period, we had the opportunity to work closely together and saw first-hand how like-minded and complementary we are. NetEase Games’ acquisition comes as a natural evolution in this process and creates a unique opportunity to boost Quantic Dream’s growth by giving our production and publishing teams all the necessary means to excel.”

SEE ALSO: NetEase Games Announces New US Studio

NetEase is steadily increasing its investment in game production, including a $100 million investment in Bungie and a strategic investment in Behavior Interactive, the studio behind Dead by Daylight, as well as the acquisition of Japanese video game developer Grasshopper Manufacture.