[UPDATE 10:20 AM PT] - This morning, NetEase confirmed to us via email that the upcoming Warhammer-based game by Jackalyptic Games will be an MMO. Probably not a huge surprise given Emmert's background, but the confirmation is nice to have.
Original Story Below:
Jackalope Games is now Jackalyptic Games. NetEase’s first US-based studio, led by MMORPG vet Jack Emmert, has also announced their first project –a game based on the Warhammer IP.
The new game will be based on a Warhammer IP and Jackalyptic is working with Games Workshop on this official partnership. Details will be revealed later, but in a press release, Jack Emmert commented on getting to work with Games Workshop and to lead off this new studio with such a rich IP:
“As someone who has molded my career developing expansive MMO stories, I’m proud to unveil that our first game in development at Jackalyptic Games will focus on the rich universes of Warhammer. Bringing the deep lore of this IP to our game is a massive undertaking, and we are thrilled to work alongside Games Workshop to bring this vision to life.”
The rebrand and new project were announced today, about a year after the studio itself was first announced. The company’s new name and rebrand are now official, but the team that was already working under Jackalope will remain and continue working on PC and console games as a NetEase studio. Jackalyptic retains creative control over its projects.
Games Workshop and Jackalyptic will work together on the new project and in the announcement of this new game, emphasize that the community will play a role in shaping what the new project becomes.
Jack Emmert has decades of experience working on some significant MMORPGs. His decades of experience have included co-founding Cryptic Studios and work on City of Heroes, Star Trek Online, Neverwinter, and DC Universe Online. Emmert was the CEO of Dimensional Ink when we interviewed him for the DCUO 10th anniversary back in 2021, and in 2022, he moved to NetEase’s new studio.
For more on the studio, head over to Jackalyptic.