Otherside Entertainment has confirmed that Tencent has now taken over the development of System Shock 3 and will be taking the franchise forward. This comes after the rumors of the studio falling behind on the development of the project since acquiring the license to do so from NightDive Studios.
While NightDive Studios still holds the rights to the System Shock IP, it seems that OtherSide will not be a part of the development at this point. On the other hand, Chinese multinational conglomerate Tencent Holdings will now be working on the upcoming sequel that was announced way back in 2015.
1/2 We are happy to announce that Tencent will be taking the #SystemShock franchise forward.
— OtherSide Entertainment (@OtherSide_Games) May 20, 2020
Since its exciting announcement five years ago, the title has seen many setbacks over the years starting with the loss of its publisher Starbreeze due to financial issues. A gameplay video released last year gave us a new ray of hope, but it soon followed with rumors that the game’s development had been stopped.
2/2 As a smaller Indie studio, it had been challenging for us to carry the project on our own. We believe Tencent's deep capabilities and expertise as a leading game company will bring the franchise to new heights.
— OtherSide Entertainment (@OtherSide_Games) May 20, 2020
Last month, OtherSide assured fans of the game’s development event during the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the development team has been working remotely ever since the lockdown. The studio went on to say that the project is coming along nicely, which may have given fans some hope of the steady development of the game.
OtherSide has also stated their side of the explanation where they recognize their small indie studio and the challenges that arose to carry the project on their own. The studio also says that “Tencent has more capabilities and expertise as a leading game company and will take the franchise to new heights.”
In a statement to Eurogamer, NightDive Studios has said that only certain rights have been transferred to Tencent by OtherSide and it is only to make sequels. NightDive, on the other hand, is working on a remake of the first game in the series, System Shock, which will be releasing on next-gen consoles.
What do you think of Tencent taking over the development of System Shock 3? Post your comments below.
