Krafton Snaps Up Last Epoch Devs: Dream Come True or Faustian Bargain?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Krafton (of PUBG fame) bought Eleventh Hour Games, the folks behind Last Epoch, sparking both excitement and skepticism about the game's future under new ownership. Will it be a dream come true or just another gaming industry acquisition story?
Right, so Krafton, the folks behind PUBG, just hoovered up Eleventh Hour Games, the studio that gave us *Last Epoch*. According to Eurogamer, who broke the story, Krafton shelled out a cool $96 million (that's £71.5m for those of us counting in proper money) to bring the ARPG devs under their wing.
Now, on the surface, this sounds like a win-win, doesn't it? Krafton gets a slice of that sweet, sweet ARPG pie, and Eleventh Hour gets the resources to buff up *Last Epoch* and maybe even bring it to consoles. Judd Cobler, CEO of Eleventh Hour, even called it a "dream come true." Bless his cotton socks.
But hold on a tick. Anyone else getting that slightly uneasy feeling, like when you find a legendary sword but suspect it's cursed? Big acquisitions always make me a bit twitchy. Will Krafton meddle too much? Will *Last Epoch* become just another cog in the corporate machine?
Krafton assures us that Eleventh Hour will continue working on the game as they always have. They're promising to expand it to consoles and keep churning out that seasonal content. Which, fair play, sounds pretty good. More *Last Epoch* is generally a good thing. But history's littered with studios that got gobbled up and then slowly... well, you know.
Eurogamer, in their *Last Epoch* review, gave it a middling 3/5, praising the build system but noting that the excitement fades after a while. So, maybe a bit of extra Krafton-backed oomph is exactly what the game needs to truly shine. Or maybe it'll be the kiss of death. Only time will tell, eh?
And speaking of Krafton, they've also got a bit of a dust-up brewing with the former bosses of Unknown Worlds (the *Subnautica* crew). Apparently, they're being sued after getting the boot earlier this month. Krafton insists that all decisions regarding *Subnautica 2* are being made to "ensure it's the best possible game." Which, let's be honest, is what *everyone* says. It's the gaming equivalent of politicians promising to lower taxes and improve healthcare simultaneously.
So, what does all this mean? Well, on one hand, it's potentially great news for *Last Epoch* fans. More content, console ports, and all that jazz. On the other hand, it's a reminder that even the most beloved indie studios are ultimately at the mercy of the corporate overlords. Let's just hope Krafton doesn't mess it up. Because, fair dinkum, nobody wants to see *Last Epoch* become another casualty of the gaming industry's endless game of acquisitions.
Tags: Last Epoch, Krafton, Acquisition, ARPG, Gaming Industry
Original article: Eurogamer