Activision Blizzard has today told GamesIndustry.biz that it has merged Vicarious Visions into Blizzard Entertainment, meaning the developer will now be "fully dedicated to existing Blizzard games and initiatives".
The move means you can kiss the idea of Vicarious Visions leading development on a Tony Hawk sequel goodbye, as all 200-ish members of the team will now be employees of Blizzard moving forward.
Here's what a representative had to say about the decision:
"After collaborating with Vicarious Visions for some time and developing a great relationship, Blizzard realized there was an opportunity for [Vicarious Visions] to provide long-term support."
Vicarious Visions most recently developed the wildly successful Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 remasters, and now could be put to work on anything from Overwatch to Diablo.
As part of the merge, Vicarious Visions studio head Jen Oneal has been promoted to Blizzard executive vice president of development, with former chief operating officer Simon Ebejer taking the studio head role in her place.
How do you feel about this? Give us your thoughts down in the comments below.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 11
Well this is disappointing. Was really looking forward to Tony Hawk 3+4 or a new Tony Hawk adventure game like Underground. Now they’ll just be support staff
I remember when this would have made me excited because Blizzard was making fantastic games. But after the Activision merger. Just bleh.
Sad day for the gaming industry..
Activision destroys another of its studios' creative potential. First Neversoft, then Raven, now this.
Great.
Shocking decision, just as they were making a real name for themselves and doing something genuinely different at Activision they've been absorbed to make the same old nonsense Blizzard have been working on for years
Well at least we managed to get some great remakes out of them before that happened, now they are pretty much as good as gone.
Yup, very disappointing.
They'll be dissolved/absorbed into obscurity. Blizzard themselves have significantly gone downhill in their quality since the merger with Activision.
As above, I'm glad they were able to push out a couple of projects, though I suspect this was a move in financial survival.
🙁
It doesn’t have anything to do with rumored troubles at Blizz, and everything to do with the fact that it’s basically an open secret that Vicarious Visions is developing the remaster of Diablo 2. This sound like they’re just making the relationship official.
It’s disappointing if you’re into stuff like Tony Hawk. It’s exhilarating if you’re into Diablo. They’re clearly very talented at remasters. I suspect that’s how they’ll continue to use them.
Boooooooo. I prefer a world where they are doing cool Crash and Tony Hawk stuff over them crunching on Overwatch bs.
Activision worse than EA confirmed
@Harktavius blizzard has fallen so far that the best they can do is have a better studio remake their masterpiece rom 20 years ago? I love d2 as much as anyone, but that they can't create a worthy successor makes it more depressing.
Maybe it'll be a mobile remake for that china market....
@NEStalgia so many people have nostalgia goggles on. I loved D2, but it had problems. D3 was a very different game, which was very good in its own right, and also had problems. Immortal is looking pretty good from the Alpha, but we’ll see what the final build looks like and if they can keep the monetization strategy from spoiling the game. Diablo 4 looks like it’s taking lessons from D2 AND D3, and I legitimately think it will be a GREAT game. Blizzard has mishandled communication with Diablo fans, up until the D4 reveal, but those games are still looking good.
Besides, Diablo fans have been demanding a D2 remaster for years. It’s hardly just a cash grab.
They’re putting tons of resources into developing two new Diablo games AND remastering a beloved classic. I don’t think your characterization fits.
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