Days after closing Midwinter Show and canceling “Project T”, Behaviour Interactive acquired Red Hook Games, creators of the Darkest Dungeon series.
While it will work with the Dead in the light of day studio, Red Hook will retain creative and operational control of its projects.
This news may be disconcerting for some developers, especially those formerly of Midwinter, who The behavior stopped last weekIt's rare for a game studio to close two offices before acquiring another.
Behaviour Interactive co-founder Rémi Racine said in a statement that the acquisition is part of the company's goal to become “synonymous with horror” and “surround Dead in the light of day with a library of equally exceptional horror games.” Product and technology manager Stephen Mulrooney called the Darkest Dungeon series a “natural compliment” to Dead in the light of daypraising both series for offering “deep, innovative gameplay and original, haunting worlds.”
Red Hook Studios co-founders Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman expressed optimism about what the move will mean for the future of Red Hook (despite the announcement coming on the heels of the closure of two studios). “Behaviour’s support will help us pursue our vision for the future of Red Hook and fully focus on transforming Darkest Dungeon into a true dark fantasy juggernaut,” said Bourassa.
Sigman said Behavior has committed to allowing Red Hook to continue developing Darkest Dungeon games “in the way we know best,” supported by the publisher’s knowledge and resources.
Red Hook Behavior and Stories So Far
Red Hook Released Darkest Dungeon II on PC last year (after entering Early Access in 2021). Last July, it was brought to PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Series X|S.
A week after its full release, Red Hook has revealed that the sequel has been sold 500,000 copiesmost of which were released during the Early Access period.
Meanwhile, Behaviour has conducted several rounds of layoffs this year. In January AND JuneThe developer has cut jobs across several departments, largely at its Montreal studio. The company spent 2023 acquiring companies such as CodeColla and SockMonkey.
Just before Darkest Dungeon II is a fantasy role-playing game. Launch 1.0, Game Developer spoke with Red Hook co-founders Tyler Sigman and Chris Bourassa about its development, which you can read Here.