Daybreak Game has entered into a strategic partnership with a major corporation. This allows the MMO specialist to revive H1Z1. It is also set to come to mobile – along with the MMORPG Everquest. With “Z1 Royale,” they are planning an eSport title.
As announced in a press release, Daybreak Games, after receiving a financial boost from the corporation NantWorks, is now working on mobile games for Everquest and H1Z1 through its newly founded subsidiary NantG Mobile.
An interesting future for Daybreak Games
What happened? The corporation NantWorks operates in many fields such as life sciences, medicine, communication, and cloud technologies. Among other things, the LA Times is also part of the corporation. Now, NantWorks announced that it has made a strategic investment in the game studio Daybreak Games.
Together, they are founding NantG Mobile, a new studio focused on developing mobile games. Along with Daybreak, NantWorks also intends to work on other titles for all gaming platforms.
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, CEO and Chairman of NantWorks and owner and chairman of the Los Angeles Times, will also join the management of Daybreak. This gives NantWorks control and management of the game studio.
What does this mean for Daybreak’s games? First of all, the new capital should be used to further develop existing games. Additionally, there are already plans to work on new titles. For this, Daybreak Games now has access to technologies developed by NantWorks. Whether less lucrative games will be discontinued over time or if there will be restructuring is currently unknown.
Focus on Mobile Games
These games are already planned: With the establishment of NantG Mobile, it is clear that there will be a focus on the development of mobile games. Specifically mentioned in the press release were mobile versions of H1Z1 and Everquest.
That’s no surprise. As H1Z1 is currently a success for Daybreak. As the mobile versions of PUBG and Fortnite show, battle royale shooters are also very well received on mobile devices.
Regarding Everquest, it remains a highly attractive brand. Additionally, more and more mobile MMORPGs are entering the market. NantWorks surely wants to compete in this space and is leveraging the Everquest name for that purpose.
New Game: “Z1 Royale” – PC Game as eSport
H1Z1 is set to become an eSport: A new project that has already been announced is “Z1 Royale.” This is set to be a “revitalized” PC version of H1Z1: Battle Royale.
They seem to want to enter the eSport realm. The new partners plan to invest more heavily in eSport through the “Los Angeles Times” and the planned “LA Times Center.” The LA Times is a major daily newspaper that will now increasingly focus on eSport – not just its own game, but also other games.
Apparently, Z1 Royale is intended to be developed into an eSport.
Fans view new partnership skeptically
How fans are reacting: Players of Daybreak’s online games are currently reacting skeptically to this announcement. Such partnerships have repeatedly led to a game studio being closed or to fans losing interest in games due to significant gameplay changes, leading to eventual cancellation.
Fans are now fearing that this could also happen with Daybreak. However, one must first wait and see how the situation develops in the coming months.
