Ori Developer Moon Studios Achieves Full Independence After Extensive Negotiations with Take-Two

Moon Studios Becomes Fully Independent Developer

Moon Studios, renowned for their acclaimed Ori series, has officially announced its transition to a fully independent developer. This significant development follows extensive negotiations with the intellectual property holder of its latest title, No Rest For The Wicked, marking a new chapter for the studio in the gaming industry.

Announcement Made During the Wicked Inside Showcase

During the recently aired Wicked Inside showcase, studio co-founders Thomas Mahler and Gennadiy Korol shared insights regarding the challenges they faced. They disclosed that discussions with their publisher were the primary reason for delays in content updates for the early access version of their game. Due to the nature of these legal negotiations, Moon Studios was unable to provide transparency about these issues until now.

“We’re thrilled to announce that the negotiations are complete, and Moon Studios is now fully independent, ” expressed Mahler.“This independence empowers us to develop No Rest For The Wicked according to our vision, assuring that we won’t have to remain silent about our progress in the future.”

From Publisher Transition to Full Independence

Initially, the publishing responsibilities for No Rest For The Wicked were managed by Private Division, a branch of Take-Two Interactive, which focused on working with independent studios. However, in November 2024, Take-Two initiated the sale of this subsidiary along with its portfolio of published games. Notably, No Rest For The Wicked was considered too valuable to be included in the sale, prompting Take-Two to retain the publishing rights. With Moon Studios’ recent move, they have effectively severed ties with the Grand Theft Auto publisher entirely.

No Rest for the Wicked – Official Game Overview of The Breach | Wicked Inside Showcase 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzAtYaSYZms)

Upcoming Content Update

Fans of No Rest For The Wicked can anticipate the release of “The Breach”update on April 30, heralded as the game’s most substantial content expansion to date. According to the overview video presented, this update will introduce a wealth of new story missions, expansive new regions to explore, additional enemies, formidable bosses, and an array of exciting features to the action RPG. Currently, the title is available as an early access experience on Steam, with plans for a console release in the near future.

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