Shortly after THQ’s initial bankruptcy auction ended with an astonishing zero bids for the Darksiders brand, Crytek chief executive officer Cevat Yerli seized the opportunity and opened up Crytek USA Corp. in Vigil Games’ (the developer behind the two game series) home city of Austin, Texas. Former Vigil lead David Adams was brought in to run the division as CEO, and the studio was quickly filled with multiple ex-Vigil employees.
With Crytek USA now up and running, David Adams has expressed his intent to go after the Darksiders IP to bring it “home” to the people who created it. Speaking out on his Twitter account yesterday, Adams stated:
“Going to bid on Darksiders IP. Put 7 years of heart and soul into that franchise, and I think it belongs at home with its creators.”
Vigil co-founder Ryan Stefanelli later confirmed the Tweet with Destructiod, saying “When the Darksiders IP goes up for auction, Crytek will be bidding for it. Not much more to say since the rest is left up to courts and legal shenanigans, but we’re all excited at the prospect.”
THQ’s final auction for their remaining property rights starts on April 1, 2013, with interested bidders required to submit their final bids on April 15th. Once the bidding has ended THQ will meet with their various creditors to determine the the highest and best bid for each lot, and then proceed with the sale after the Court gives final approval. If all goes well, and Crytek USA ends up winning the bid (which consists of Darksiders and Darksiders II), the brand should be fully under their control sometime in May.
While I’m certainly in favor of Darksiders staying with the studio that created it (regardless of what they are currently called), it should be noted that this does not mean fans should expect Darksiders III at any point in the near future, as Crytek has already stated that a third game in the series “doesn’t fit” with their current strategy.
We will keep an eye out for the results of THQ’s final auction next month and let you know if Crytek USA is successful in acquiring the Darksiders IP.
