As detailed in a PR email that was sent to me on Wednesday, July 9, free-to-play publisher Nexon has announced its partnership with Cliff Bleszinski, the former Epic Games videogame designer who’s just recently returned from retirement .
This partnership comes in tandem with Bleszinski’s announcement of his new studio , humorously titled “Boss Key Productions”, with Guerilla Games co-founder Arjan Brussee. Bleszinski also announced via Twitter the studio’s first game, which will be a free-to-play first-person shooter, code-named “ BlueStreak ”.
As part of its partnership with Bleszinski, and subsequently Boss Key, Nexon has acquired a minority stake in the new studio, as well as the exclusive worldwide publishing and marketing rights to BlueStreak , which will be handled through its subsidiary Nexon America. Additional terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
“ Cliff is one of the most innovative and renowned game designers of our time, and his reputation for creating genre-defining games that inspire a dedicated fan base is well-earned, ” said Nexon’s president and chief executive officer Owen Mahoney.
“ Players across the world have eagerly awaited Cliff’s next move, and we’re delighted to partner with Boss Key to bring the next generation of first-person shooters to market. Cliff shares our unwavering commitment to delivering players the absolute highest-quality game-play experience, ” he continued.
“ Creating fun and memorable shooters is in my DNA, and making the move to free-to-play games is all about maximizing the potential audience for your title while embracing where the industry is headed, ” said Bleszinski, Boss Key’s co-founder and chief executive officer.
“ No one knows the free-to-play market better than Nexon, which is why they were the obvious partner to publish BlueStreak . It’s a game and concept I think will really resonate with players who have been clamoring for a new take on an old favorite. After all, I’ve had a year and a half to plan it, ” he added.
For those interested in applying for a job at Boss Key, the studio is now accepting resumés via [email protected] . We’ll bring you more news on Boss Key Productions and BlueStreak should further information reach our ears.
[ PR email ]