Net Ease Quantic Dream

NetEase Buys French Video Game Developer and Publisher Quantic Dream

Quantic Dream announces a partnership with NetEase Games to bring their AAA video game experiences to even more players worldwide.

NetEase, Inc., one of China’s leading internet and online game services providers, announced today that its games division, NetEase Games, has acquired Quantic Dream S.A. This acquisition, led by David Cage and Guillaume de Fondaumière, marks NetEase Games’ first studio in Europe and a significant step forward in fulfilling the Company’s global vision to support innovation and game development.

Although Quantic Dream will continue to operate independently, focusing on game development and publishing on all platforms and supporting and publishing third-party titles, it will also gain access to NetEase’s enormous gaming development resources.

Quantic Dream is a French game development company founded 25 years ago in Paris, France. It created award-winning games such as Heavy Rain™, Beyond: Two Souls™, and Detroit: Become Human™. The studio revealed at The Game Awards 2021 that it would collaborate on the new action-adventure game Star Wars Eclipse™ with Lucasfilm Games.

About NetEase, Inc.

NetEase, Inc. is a well-known internet technology company based in China that provides excellent online services focused on content creation. NetEase has many offerings throughout its constantly growing gaming ecosystem and develops and operates some of the most popular mobile and P.C. games in China.

With-rate research and development capabilities domestically in China and globally, NetEase creates superior gaming experiences that inspire players while delivering value for its thriving community worldwide every day. NetEase strives to make gaming an instructional and fun experience for everyone by blending play with culture, education, and technology.

NetEase’s service offerings include majority-controlled subsidiaries Youdao (NYSE: DAO), China’s major technology-focused intelligent learning firm, and Cloud Music (HKEX: 9899), China’s leading online music content community, as well as Yanxuan, NetEase’s private label consumer lifestyle brand.

NetEase’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) activities are among the best in the global media and entertainment sector, earning it a distinction as one of S&P Global Industry Movers and an “A” rating from MSCI.

About NetEase Games

NetEase Games is the online gaming division of NetEase, Inc. (NASDAQ: NTES and HKEX: 9999), focused on developing and operating mobile and P.C. games for a global audience. As one of the world’s largest incubators of quality online game content, NetEase Games supports the growth of innovative studios around the globe. NetEase Games, a joint venture between NetEase and The Walt Disney Company China, is a rapidly expanding Chinese gaming company with a global vision.

It develops its games and has world-class research and development capabilities. To complement its self-developed games and worldwide ambitions, NetEase Games collaborates with other industry leaders such as Blizzard Entertainment, Mojang AB (a Microsoft subsidiary), and other worldwide game developers to operate some of the most popular international online games in China.

About Quantic Dream

Quantic Dream is a Paris and Montreal-based video game studio created by David Cage in 1997. The studio offers unique narrative experiences with games such as Heavy Rain™, Beyond: Two Souls™, and Detroit: Become Human™. These games have been played by millions of people around the world and have won more than 250 international awards. Currently, Quantic Dream is working on three new projects, one of which is Star Wars Eclipse™: Developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.

As an independent publisher since 2019, Quantic Dream has supported original creators with unique visions. These creators are allowed to bring their vision to life with help from Quantic Dream’s expertise, funding, and access to international markets and players.

Quantic Dream unveiled Star Wars Eclipse during The Game Awards 2021, a new action-adventure multiple-character branching narrative AAA game set in the High Republic era of the iconic Star Wars galaxy, now early in development.

Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human are trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe. Quantic Dream is the developer of Heavy Rain. The trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe are used under license for this advertisement. Quantic Dream and the Quantic Dream logo are trademarks of Quantic Dream. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. All rights reserved

STAR WARS, Lucasfilm Ltd., and related properties are copyrights of in the United States and other countries. All rights reserved.

NetEase & Quantic Dream CEO Executive Commentary

“We are excited to work with Quantic Dream and expand our company together,” said William Ding, CEO, and Director of NetEase, Inc. “We promised to support Quantic Dream during this new growth stage, and we will continue to empower them with the resources they need. By combining the creative minds at Quantic Dream with NetEase’s facilities and operational skills, we hope to improve interactive entertainment experiences for millions of people around the world.”

David Cage, the founder, CEO, and writer-director of Quantic Dream said,” Today is an important milestone for us as it marks a quarter century of independence.” He continues by saying that “NetEase Games values our creative freedom and the drive and passion of our uniquely diverse team. We will now be able to accelerate the vision we share as a group, of creating landmark titles that touch people emotionally.” We have games in development that are vastly different from one another, and I firmly believe that the best is yet to come from Quantic Dream. Our employees who were offered a portion of the Company’s capital over the years will receive the full benefit from this acquisition. It shows our dedication to rewarding those who have contributed to making Quantic Dream as successful as it is Today.”

“NetEase Games first invested in Quantic Dream three years ago,” said Guillaume de Fondaumière, Co-CEO and Head of Publishing for Quantic Dream. “We’ve had the pleasure of working alongside one another over the last three years, and we’ve seen how much alike we are. The acquisition by NetEase Games is a natural progression in this process, giving our production and publishing teams all the tools they need to excel.”

Quantic Dream is a market leader in story-based video games with nonlinear plots that encourage player choice. The Company, which develops its proprietary technologies, is also recognized for its pioneering use of motion capture to bring actors’ performances to life in video games. NetEase originally invested a minority stake in Quantic Dream S.A. in 2019.