Moon Studios, the talented developers of the beloved Ori series, have made a significant announcement – they are now ‘fully independent’ after securing the publishing rights to their latest game, No Rest for the Wicked, from industry giants Take-Two Interactive, known for titles like Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands.
Initially set to be published by Private Division, an indie-focused label under Take-Two, No Rest for the Wicked faced a change of plans when Take-Two sold Private Division to an undisclosed buyer last year. This shift in focus prompted Moon Studios to take control of their own destiny.
Despite the sale of Private Division, Take-Two had plans to continue supporting No Rest for the Wicked along with other titles from the label. However, Moon Studios decided to take matters into their own hands, ensuring that they could bring their vision to life without any limitations. This move comes alongside a significant update for the action-RPG, which has been in early access on PC and Xbox for almost a year.
In other news, reports surfaced in January suggesting that Private Division had been acquired by Haveli Investments, a private equity firm based in Texas. The most intriguing part of this acquisition was the collaboration with former Annapurna employees to fund a new company that would distribute titles from Private Division. These titles include the Kerbal Space Program series, the upcoming Lord of the Rings farming game Tales of the Shire, and a new action-adventure IP from Game Freak, known for their work on Pokémon.