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Vigil Games was a company known for the well-received Darksiders and its impressive sequel. The studio was closed in 2013 after it failed to draw a buyer during THQ's bankruptcy auction.

Crytek Scoops Up Ex-Vigil Staff for Austin Studio

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Posted by patrickklepek (1626 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

The fate of Darksiders remains unclear, but core members of Vigil Games have been picked up by Crysis developer Crytek, and have formed the foundation of a new studio in Austin, Texas.

David Adams was one of the founding members of Vigil Games, and is the CEO of Crytek’s new location in Austin. It’s unclear what project this arm of Crytek might be working on--it’s very early days.

“Crytek has always enjoyed a special relationship with gamers and business partners in North America, so establishing a permanent presence in the US was a natural step,” said Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli in the press release announcing the move today.

“Great news for Vigil, at least the core team,” said former THQ president Jason Rubin on Twitter. “Thanks to Crytek for saving as much as they could of a fantastic team.”

The Darksiders property has yet to go up for auction. Technically, Crytek (or another company) could still pick it up.

Staff
#1 Posted by patrickklepek (1626 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

The fate of Darksiders remains unclear, but core members of Vigil Games have been picked up by Crysis developer Crytek, and have formed the foundation of a new studio in Austin, Texas.

David Adams was one of the founding members of Vigil Games, and is the CEO of Crytek’s new location in Austin. It’s unclear what project this arm of Crytek might be working on--it’s very early days.

“Crytek has always enjoyed a special relationship with gamers and business partners in North America, so establishing a permanent presence in the US was a natural step,” said Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli in the press release announcing the move today.

“Great news for Vigil, at least the core team,” said former THQ president Jason Rubin on Twitter. “Thanks to Crytek for saving as much as they could of a fantastic team.”

The Darksiders property has yet to go up for auction. Technically, Crytek (or another company) could still pick it up.

Staff
#2 Posted by Draxyle (1268 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Great to hear. Would have been terrible if any individual developer was left behind.

#3 Edited by Duff_McWhalen (21 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Nice.

#4 Posted by zipperface (58 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Good news, hopefully it continues for the rest of the staff.

#5 Posted by SomeDeliCook (1661 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Don't expect much, they grabbed Free Radical yet aren't even doing a new or remake of Timesplitters. 
Instead they have them making Homefront 2

#6 Posted by sasnipes (103 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Good news for these guys, I'm sure it was tough for them to not get bought and saved during the previous sell-off.

#7 Posted by Animasta (12758 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

I hate that game companies usually just call offshoot studios "studio name - location", it's so boring.

good for the guys, of course, but this is an important issue dagnabbit

#8 Posted by Nightriff (2879 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Better than them spreading to the 4 corners, keeps the team together and they could do great things, could

#9 Posted by Dallas_Raines (1493 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

I still want Platinum to pick up Darksiders.

#10 Posted by TheMasterDS (1205 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

They should try to buy Creeper or whatever their next project was as well. I want to know what that is!

#11 Edited by MeatSim (9289 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Hooray for keeping people working and getting paid.

#12 Posted by Yummylee (18150 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago
#13 Posted by jmic75 (245 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Come on Crytek....buy the IP...do it....dooo it.

#14 Edited by spartanlolz92 (511 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

For those complaining that they might not be able to make darksiders.

at least they have jobs and at a pretty good developer no less

#15 Posted by Rox360 (951 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Awesome. I just finished Darksiders (like two hours ago) and, god, that awesome cliffhanger ending made me so sad knowing where the IP is at right now... Glad the team is alright, at least. Hope the franchise finds a good home, as well. I still want to see that ending's promise become reality at some point!

#16 Posted by MooseyMcMan (8549 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Good news! Those are some talented people, I'm glad they've got jobs again.

#17 Posted by MildMolasses (2023 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Where does Crytek get the money to run all these studios? Crysis has done well, but not that well

#18 Edited by tourgen (2956 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

idiot MBA suits at THQ get the axe, the talented people still get paid. just from somewhere else. all is right with the world.

#19 Posted by chilibean_3 (1286 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Do they bring along the new, unannounced project they were working on? Or do they just take the knowledge and work from that and create something different with whatever mechanics/hook they were psyched about?

#20 Posted by ImmortalSaiyan (4186 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@SomeDeliCook said:

Don't expect much, they grabbed Free Radical yet aren't even doing a new or remake of Timesplitters. Instead they have them making Homefront 2

So that is what happened to them. Were they not supposed to be working on a new Timesplitters at some point a few years back?

#21 Posted by Animasta (12758 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@MildMolasses said:

Where does Crytek get the money to run all these studios? Crysis has done well, but not that well

I assumed they were also a central european publisher (like CDProjekt) but nope, they just made crysis and they have 6 studios for some reason?

#22 Posted by ArjanN (74 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@MildMolasses said:

Where does Crytek get the money to run all these studios? Crysis has done well, but not that well

They license out their engine, and they do a lot simulation stuff for the government.

#23 Posted by heatDrive88 (1846 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago
#24 Posted by Zaxex (507 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

This is great news - it's not the entire team, but it's better than nothing. I like Darksiders, but if I had to choose between the two, I'd have Vigil's staff being employed over the license.

I started playing Darksiders today - seeing the old THQ logo and Vigil Games' was pretty brutal. I appreciate their legacy, but I'd love for these people to stay in the industry.

#25 Posted by buhssuht (431 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

phew. so crisis averted?

#26 Posted by Triumvir (291 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Actually, this is really positive news, not only because those folks have jobs again, but because the engine was probably the least impressive part the Darksiders series. Now they have easy access to some of the best tech and technical expertise in the industry.

It'd be a real frigging shame if those guys can't work on another Darksiders.

#27 Posted by fallen_rock2 (40 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@buhssuht said:

phew. so crisis averted?

If that was meant as a pun, I tip my hat to you sir.

#28 Posted by Donoram (43 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@heatDrive88 said:

This made me giggle cough to death. Kudos.

#29 Posted by SgtSphynx (450 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago
@jmic75 said:

Come on Crytek....buy the IP...do it....dooo it.

I second this.
#30 Posted by Cold_Wolven (1688 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Don't know what's going to happen to the Darksiders IP but at least the core of the Vigil team have jobs now working together.

#31 Posted by WarlordPayne (568 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

I'm glad someone recognized the talent that these guys have. I may have been disappointed with Darksiders 2 but it's still a hell of a lot better than most of the crap out there.

#32 Edited by Lurkero (246 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

I'm glad the developers may be able to find a new place of work. It seems like Crytek may have wanted to avoid employing the studio through THQ and will be able to be more selective this way.

That is a surprisingly coincidental time to be starting up a studio right after one closes.

#33 Posted by MURDERSMASH (239 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

That would be awesome if they get the Darksiders IP back as well. Regardless, though, i'm glad to see they still have jobs! Grats, Vigil peeps!

#34 Posted by project343 (2652 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@Dallas_Raines said:

I still want Platinum to pick up Darksiders.

What. The. Fuck.

You just blew my mind.

#35 Posted by Efesell (206 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Good for them. Still not a lot of hope for Darksiders, but at least some of these people still have jobs.

#36 Posted by steelerzfan101 (118 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Well that sucks, I was hoping this would say Darksiders has also found a new home. Oh well, at least some of the core-members of Vigil Games won't be losing their jobs!

#37 Posted by Abendlaender (1447 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Wow, I had no idea Crytek are doing so well.

But that's the second studio they bought and they didn't really do anything with the first. Where do they get all their money from?

#38 Edited by galenblade (14 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago
#39 Posted by Amaru25 (145 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

For some reason, I hella wanted Nintendo to buy them.

#40 Posted by SomeDeliCook (1661 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago
@ImmortalSaiyan said:

@SomeDeliCook said:

Don't expect much, they grabbed Free Radical yet aren't even doing a new or remake of Timesplitters. Instead they have them making Homefront 2

So that is what happened to them. Were they not supposed to be working on a new Timesplitters at some point a few years back?

They were about the time they got shutdown and their Battlefront 3 was cancelled. Crytek doesn't believe making a new Timesplitters would make a profit so they're just sitting on that IP while they make a new Homefront. 
If they released Timesplitters 1-3 as a combined HD remake for XBLA and PSN for 20 bucks, they could take a chance and if it turns out profitable then make a new entry.
#41 Posted by Shaanyboi (1071 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@Amaru25 said:

For some reason, I hella wanted Nintendo to buy them.

Retro picked up afew people. As well as some ex-Bioware/Junction Point guys. Don't know why Crytek specifically is mentioned in the article, but... yeah.

#42 Posted by MjHealy (1420 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Glad to see everyone has landed on their feet, it seems.

#43 Posted by Marz (5469 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

well at least these guys have a job, still sucks Darksiders wasn't bought by anyone.  Hopefully they do something cool with CryEngine.

#44 Edited by KaneRobot (992 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

@MjHealy said:

Glad to see everyone has landed on their feet, it seems.

Say that to the people who were not members of the "core team," whatever that means.

#45 Posted by BeachThunder (8856 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

Forget buying the IP; they're clearly going to be making Darkcryders.

Also, Crysis have said they're going to only make free-to-play games in the future...so...I hope they change their mind =/

#46 Posted by DoctorSage (123 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

I've been hoping everyone put out by this whole mess finds work, and this is an excellent sign. Way to go, Crytek!

#47 Posted by Godzilla_Sushi (1023 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

A studio that made two good games and couldn't survive. I really hate that.

#48 Edited by Bistromath (455 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

And now they get to make shooters.

Forever.

Well, probably (hopefully) not, since they're making a new studio out of them.

#49 Posted by RoyCampbell (1067 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago
@Bistromath said:

And now they get to make shooters.

Forever.

#50 Posted by SharkMan (393 posts) - 3 months, 22 days ago

darksiders was kind of boring anyway, imho

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