Wargaming.net, developer/publisher of the hugely successful World of Tanks, have moved in to pick up Chicago-based developer Day 1 Studios. The Illinois developer is best known for the MechAssault games on Xbox and more recently for F.E.A.R. 3, but had come upon bad times after a deal with Konami fell through resulting in some layoffs late last year.
Now fortunes have turned, as the new Russian owners looks to expand their business to consoles. Day 1 Studios are working on an undisclosed console game and the deal set Wargaming.net back $20 million according to the press release.
"The move into console game development is a huge step for Wargaming, as we begin to expand our presence into new platforms," said Victor Kislyi, CEO of Wargaming. "We are looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor soon."
"Wargaming is a clear leader in the free-to-play space and helps set the standard on which all other games in the genre strive for," said Denny Thorley, new Head of Wargaming's Chicago-based studio. "Our team is extremely excited to start the first console project for Wargaming."