The two companies will learn from each other in key areas like live-service games, and may work together on one of Absurd Ventures' unannounced game projects.
South Korean developer Smilegate has invested money into becoming a partner in Absurd Ventures, the transmedia studio from Rockstar alum Dan Houser.
Under the agreement, the Crossfire studio has the option to team with Absurd on its upcoming new property. The two companies will also collaborate on various areas, such as the live-service genre. Smilegate's announcement noted how Houser oversaw the online modes for Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption II, and its own various online titles like Crossfire and Lost Ark.
Additionally, Smilegate and Absurd Ventures will "leverage" each other's strengths, such as the former's knowledge of the larger Asian market and the latter's "narrative, triple-A, and business expertise" in the West.
"This collaboration with Smilegate was borne from a mutual respect and a philosophical alignment with [Smilegate] founder Kwon Hyuk-Bin, and the great passion he and his team bring to making AAA games," said Houser. "We both want to build interesting worlds and new player experiences."
Smilegate CEO Joonho Sung added the partnership "marks a critical milestone in Smilegate's journey toward becoming a global IP powerhouse. Together with Absurd Ventures, Smilegate aims to deliver games that players across the globe will love."
Absurd Ventures was officially announced in late 2023, and released an audio fiction series based on its original IP earlier this year. The company's ultimate aim is to be a transmedia studio from the start, wherein its properties can bounce from games to podcasts to graphic novels and TV/film.
In September, the spinoff studio Absurd Marin was formed. That team consists of staff from the now "paused" Immortals of Aveum developer Ascendant Studios, and is working on an unannounced game. The future title makes for Absurd's second game project, and its third property overall.
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