CCP Games, the developers of EVE Online, has been bought by the creators of Black Desert Online, Pearl Abyss. The two companies announced the $425 million acquisition today. However, despite the purchase, CCP will continue to operate independently. According to a press release the two companies will work jointly to publish and develop all future Pearl Abyss projects, while CCP Games will continue to support EVE Online as it had prior to the purchase. CCP Games’ publishing expertise and community engagement attracted Pearl Abyss to the company.
The Icelandic CCP Games was founded in 1997 and launched it’s famously complex EVE Online in 2003. The space-faring massively multiplayer game is renowned for community politics and player-driven wars. The game has continued to draw interest across the games industry as in-game battles cost players thousands of dollars.
CCP Games has branched out from EVE Online, having developed first-person shooter Dust 514 for PS3, and the PSVR space combat title EVE: Valkyrie—both taking place within the EVE universe. They have studios in Reykjavík, London, and Shanghai with around 600 global employees.
CCP Games CEO Hilmar Veigar Pétursson said, “Pearl Abyss is a fast-growing company with lots to offer in terms of technology, capability and vision. I believe our two companies have a lot to learn from each other.”
Black Desert Online‘s South Korean developer Pearl Abyss is a relative newcomer to the industry. The title began development in 2010, and released in South Korea four years later. The massively multiplayer game reached North America and Europe in 2016. Black Desert Online is known for it’s deep character customization and graphics.
Pearl Abyss has experienced exceptional growth as Black Desert Online has continued to expand into new territories globally. The title is nearing 10 million registered players globally, with nearly half of those players since the beginning of 2017. Black Desert Online is also in development for PS4 and Xbox One with an Xbox beta planned for this fall.
