Blackbird Interactive, developer of Homeworld 3 and Minecraft Legends, has reacquired full intellectual property rights of Hardspace: Shipbreaker.
Announced today, the developer now has full ownership of the IP. Originally, the game was brought to market in partnership with Focus Entertainment, which not only assisted as publisher but also acquired partial ownership of the IP.
According to the announcement, Blackbird isn’t ready to share specifics aside from there being “multiple Hardspace projects” currently in development, paving the path forward to flesh out the IP into a franchise. According to a financial report issued in June 2022 by Focus Entertainment, Hardspace: Shipbreaker had sold over 500,000 copies in its two years in early access.
It’s been a year since Blackbird Interactive talked about a “realignment plan”
Hardspace: Shipbreaker has been a standout release for Blackbird. In recent times, however, the team has undergone layoffs and leadership changes internally.
As reported by Business in Vancouver, where the studio is based, founder Rob Cunningham transitioned from the CEO role to board chairman back in March of this year, with Eric Torin taking over the helm after his tenure as chief strategy officer. This is reflected in Blackbird’s official site.
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The news came around a year after Blackbird made layoffs due to “economic pressures” beyond its control, claiming the cuts were part of a wider “realignment plan” that was implemented after some of its partners shelved in-development projects. “We looked at multiple ways of avoiding this and regretfully other options weren’t viable,” a Blackbird spokesperson said at the time.
The layoffs followed another round of job cuts that took place in August 2023, which affected 41 staff members. Months later, Mojang pulled the plug on Minecraft Legends.