NetEase has acquired Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream

Detroit: Become Human and Star Wars Eclipse developer Quantic Dream has been acquired by Chinese company NetEase for an undisclosed fee.

NetEase made the purchase through its video game division, NetEase Games, and explained Quantic Dream will become its first studio in Europe.

The company said the deal represents an "important step" in fulfilling its vision of becoming a global developer. The move comes as Chinese officials continue to tighten video game regulations in the region.

Quantic Dream, meanwhile, said the acquisition will allow it to continue bringing "high-quality triple-A video game experiences to players worldwide."

"Today marks an important milestone for our studio after a quarter century of complete independence," said Quantic Dream founder and CEO, David Cage. "NetEase Games values our creative freedom and the drive and passion of our uniquely diverse team. We will now be able to accelerate the vision we share as a group, of creating landmark titles that touch people on an emotional level."

The studio is known for working on narrative-driven projects like Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human, and is currently developing a Star Wars title that was first teased at The Game Awards 2021.

It has also courted controversy in recent years, with multiple reports published in French newspapers surfacing allegations of misconduct at the studio. Quantic Dream pushed back against those allegations, successfully winning a libel lawsuit against Le Monde over the paper's reporting, but also losing another that concerned Mediapart's coverage of the same events.

In 2021, Quantic Dream also shed its moniker as a solo-studio developer by opening a second studio in Montreal, Canada.

NetEase previously grabbed a minority stake in Quantic Dream in 2019, and more recently began an investment and acquisition spree that has seen it sink cash into studios old and new including Something Wicked, Jar of Sparks, Something Random, Grasshopper Manufacture, and more.