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Telltale Games, the studio behind The Walking Dead, has been reanimated

Telltale Games, known best as the label behind The Walking Dead episodic games, has been reborn (reanimated?) after LCG Entertainment purchased the defunct studio's key assets.

Chris Kerr, News Editor

August 28, 2019

2 Min Read
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Telltale Games, known best as the label behind The Walking Dead episodic games, has been reborn (reanimated?) after LCG Entertainment purchased the defunct studio's key assets, trademarks, technology, and select intellectual properties.

The developer was best known for working on popular episodic titles like The Walking Dead, Tales from the Borderlands, and The Wolf Among Us. While the LCG deal brings back a brand that excites fans of Telltale's past work, the new version looks to be a shadow of its former self.

The original Telltale shut down in October last year, which resulted in around 250 layoffs and the cancellation of multiple games including The Wolf Among Us 2 and an unnamed Stranger Things project.

LCG Entertainment intends to resurrect the studio by re-releasing select games from Telltale's back catalog and developing new projects using some of its best-selling brands.

The holding company will conduct business under the Telltale Games moniker moving forward, and has appointed Jamie Ottilie to lead the revived studio as CEO. Brian Waddle, who oversaw the purchase of the original Telltale's assets alongside Ottilie, has been appointed chief revenue officer. 

"All of us were big fans of the games Telltale created, as we strongly believe in games as a storytelling medium and nobody did it better," commented Ottilie, who's also been the founder and CEO of independent mobile, browser, and social game studio Galaxy Pest Controt since 2010.

"Even now, when you see a game with strong narrative, it’s always compared to Telltale, so it’s no surprise that players and industry colleagues alike mourned the studio’s closure. We believe there is still so much life to the brand and its franchises, and we look forward to building upon the company’s storytelling legacy."

Athalon Games, a subsidiary of Chinese holding company Leyou Technologies Holdings, has also been brought into the mix as a shareholder and publishing partner, and will help the reformed company market and publish its back catalog and new releases.

Members of the original Telltale Games development team have also been hired or contracted by the new Telltale, which has pledged to use a "streamlined structure with plans for strategic growth" to sensibly expand operations.

About the Author

Chris Kerr

News Editor, GameDeveloper.com

Game Developer news editor Chris Kerr is an award-winning journalist and reporter with over a decade of experience in the game industry. His byline has appeared in notable print and digital publications including Edge, Stuff, Wireframe, International Business Times, and PocketGamer.biz. Throughout his career, Chris has covered major industry events including GDC, PAX Australia, Gamescom, Paris Games Week, and Develop Brighton. He has featured on the judging panel at The Develop Star Awards on multiple occasions and appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live to discuss breaking news.

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