Behaviour Interactive acquires Darkest Dungeon dev Red Hook Studios

Days after shuttering Midwinter Entertainment and canceling "Project T," Behaviour Interactive has acquired Red Hook Games, makers of the Darkest Dungeon series.

While it'll be working with the Dead by Daylight studio going forward, Red Hook will stay in creative and operational control of its projects.

This news may come as puzzling to some developers, particularly those formerly of Midwinter, which Behaviour shut down last week. It's rare that a game studio closes down 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 of becoming "synonymous with horror," and to "surround Dead by Daylight with a library of similarly exceptional horror games." Chief product and technology officer Stephen Mulrooney called the Darkest Dungeon series a "natural compliment" to Dead by Daylight, praising both series for offering "deep, innovative gameplay and original, eldritch worlds."

Red Hook Studios co-founders Chris Bourassa and Tyler Sigman expressed optimism for what the move means for Red Hook's future (despite the announcement coming on the heels of two studio closures). "Behaviour's support will help us pursue our vision for Red Hook's future, and focus fully on transforming Darkest Dungeon into an absolute juggernaut of the dark fantasy genre," Bourassa said.

Related:Behind the GDC scenes with Beth Elderkin and Sam Warnke: Game Developer Podcast ep. 43

Sigman said that Behaviour has committed to letting Red Hook continue developing the Darkest Dungeon games "in a manner we know best," backed by the publisher's knowledge and resources.

Behaviour and Red Hook's stories so far

Red Hook released Darkest Dungeon II on PC last year (after it started Early Access in 2021). This past July, it was ported to PlayStation 4 and 5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One and Series X|S.

A week after its full release, Red Hook revealed the sequel has sold 500,000 copies, most of which came during its time in Early Access.

Meanwhile, Behaviour has conducted several rounds of layoffs this year. In January and June, the developer cut jobs across multiple departments, largely at its Montreal studio. The company spent 2023 acquiring companies like CodeGlue and SockMonkey.

Shortly before Darkest Dungeon II's 1.0 launch, Game Developer spoke with Red Hook co-founders Tyler Sigman and Chris Bourassa about its development, which you can read here.