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NetEase Games acquires Canada's Skybox Labs

Date Type Companies involved Size
January 9th, 2023 acquisition NetEase Games Not disclosed
NetEase Games acquires Canada's Skybox Labs

China's NetEase Games has made yet another acquisition with co-development studio Skybox Labs.

No figure has been placed on the deal, which sees the Canadian developer continue to work with its existing partners. Skybox has worked with the likes of Xbox Game Studios, Wizards of the Coast and EA in the past on titles including Halo Infinite, Fallout 76 and Minecraft.

“Over the last decade, we've had the pleasure to work on beloved games such as Halo Infinite, Minecraft, and Fallout 76," Skybox's co-founder Shyang Kong said.

"We remain committed to growing our presence in Canada, supporting our current and future partners, and co-developing more triple-A games for some of the biggest game studios around the world. We have built a team of talented individuals who are passionate and creative, and by joining NetEase Games, we will also be able to accelerate our plans to pursue new creative opportunities, and enjoy access to world-class operational resources and the full breadth and depth of NetEase’s services so we can scale faster in Canada.”

NetEase Games' president of global investment and partnerships Simon Zhu added: "We are thrilled to welcome SkyBox Labs to the NetEase Games family and are committed to creating an environment that allows them to thrive and operate independently as a game studio. We were impressed with their extensive experience in game development and are great admirers of their past work on some of the world's leading franchises. We look forward to working with the SkyBox Labs co-founders and providing the resources needed to help them grow their presence in Canada as they continue to support top creators around the world in developing unforgettable gaming experiences for players."

This is the latest in a string of overseas investments for NetEase Games following a period of hostility towards the tech scene in its native China, though this appears to be coming to an end now.

The company has bought French developer Quantic Dream and Japan's Grasshopper Manufacture, as well as setting up Jackalope Games and Jar of Sparks in the US and GPTrack50 in Japan. That's on top of several investments in the likes of Liquid Swords and Something Random.


PCGamesInsider Contributing Editor

Alex Calvin is a freelance journalist who writes about the business of games. He started out at UK trade paper MCV in 2013 and left as deputy editor over three years later. In June 2017, he joined Steel Media as the editor for new site PCGamesInsider.biz. In October 2019 he left this full-time position at the company but still contributes to the site on a daily basis. He has also written for GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, Games London, The Observer/Guardian and Esquire UK.