XLGAMES’s decision to transfer the rights to the entire ArcheAge series (including the original MMORPG and the new project ArcheAge S) to Align Studio for 39.2 billion won (nearly $30 million) is a logical decision, but the consequences of the studio’s protracted financial crisis are equally dramatic.
With its first game shutting down its service in May and causing billions of dollars in losses, the developer is apparently trying to improve its financial situation by focusing on future releases of its massive action role-playing game ArcheAge Chronicles for PC and consoles.
Such transactions, which transfer assets to Kakao Games subsidiaries or newly created entities, generally indicate the need for internal risk restructuring before the launch of new major projects. We can only hope that the change in legal ownership allows us to preserve the legacy of a once iconic universe while the team puts all their energy into polishing it chronicle to season four.