Microsoft acquires Psychonauts developer Double Fine

Double Fine, the studio behind games like Psychonauts and Broken Age, has been acquired by Xbox Game Studios. The news was announced on-stage today at E3 2019.

Psychonauts 2 will still launch for all its previously promised platforms, PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. In a video released today, founder Tim Schafer shared more information about the acquisition. “Nothing about us is going to change at all,” he said, adding that the move will allow Double Fine to continue creating games in its same spirit.

Double Fine’a addition brings Xbox Game Studios standalone developers to 15. “Under the leadership of industry veteran Tim Schafer, Double Fine has been a beacon of creativity and spirit in game development for almost 20 years with classic games like Pyschonauts, Brütal Legend and Broken Age, said Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty in a prepared statement. “At the root of every game is an emphasis on creating crazy worlds with originality, story and fun. That commitment to creating a unique, player-centric experience is what drew us to the studio, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we create together.”

Double Fine isn’t the first indie studio to be acquired by a major developer. In 2018, Valve acquired Firewatch creator Campo Santo.