Well, this is something we didn't see coming...
In an announcement posted the the H1Z1 Reddit by SOE_Legion, it was revealed that Sony Online Entertainment which is responsible for a good number of games right now, has been acquired by an investment management firm named Columbus Nova. This makes it effectively now an independent studio, renamed Daybreak Game Company.
The announcement revealed the news of the acquisition and name change, as well talking about continuing to "focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world" as well as developing games for multiple platforms including the Xbox. As for the existing games, Daybreak are going to continue with them and hopefully be able to improve them thanks to the availability of more resources from Columbus Nova.
We're not sure about future plans, but if a tweet from one of H1Z1's staff is to be believed, it's going to involve the Xbox One...
The full announcement message is below:
Dear Players, Partners and Friends,
Today, we are pleased to announce that we have been acquired by Columbus Nova, an investment management firm well known for its success with its existing portfolio of technology, media and entertainment focused companies. This means that effective immediately SOE will operate as an independent game development studio where we will continue to focus on creating exceptional online games for players around the world, and now as a multi-platform gaming company. Yes, that means PlayStation and Xbox, mobile and more!
As part of this transition, SOE will now become Daybreak Game Company. This name embodies who we are as an organization, and is a nod to the passion and dedication of our employees and players. It is also representative of our vision to approach each new day as an opportunity to move gaming forward.
So what exactly does this mean for you? It will be business as usual and all SOE games will continue on their current path of development and operation. In fact, we expect to have even more resources available to us as a result of this acquisition. It also means new exciting developments for our existing IP and games as we can now fully embrace the multi-platform world we are living in.
Our games and players are the heart and soul of our organization, and we are committed to maintaining our portfolio of online games and pushing the limits of where we can take online gaming together.
Thank you for your continued support. See you in game!
The Team at Daybreak