Publisher Kalypso Media has announced that future development of the hugely popular Tropico series will be taken over by Realmforge Studios GmbH.
The German developer, best known for Dungeons 3 and the upcoming Spacebase Startopia, will make its debut contribution to the series before Christmas with Caribbean Skies – an extensive add-on for Tropico 6 which will be available from 16th December for PC, PS4, Xbox One.
To ensure that the developer had the resources necessary to do justice to the ‘Caribbean Skies’ add-on and beyond, Kalypso Media Group extended its previous shares in the developer from 60 to 100 percent, ensuring a complete takeover of Realmforge Studios at the beginning of 2020. Throughout the year, work has been done to expand the studio both in staff and space, including a relocation to a larger office in Munich.
Realmforge Studios and Kalypso Media have held an exclusive publishing relationship for more than a decade, notably making a name for themselves in the strategy market with fan-favourite dungeon management simulator Dungeons 3, which received a 94% positive user rating on Steam. Their next full-scale project, Spacebase Startopia, is already eagerly anticipated among strategy fans and is set to release in Spring 2021 for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch™. The current heads of Realmforge Studios, Benjamin Rauscher and Christian Wolfertstetter, will lead the studio for the long term.
“The expansion and complete takeover of the shares is a logical consequence of our strategy to expand our own development resources not only in Germany but internationally. We are offering the highly qualified, motivated team in Munich the opportunity to focus exclusively on the further development of exciting franchises such as Tropico, Dungeons and Spacebase Startopia in the future,” says Simon Hellwig, Managing Partner of Kalypso Media Group GmbH.
“Developing complex city-builder and strategy games with that special x-factor element, that are well-received within the community and the wider market on all platforms – that’s something we do well. The Tropico brand is therefore a perfect fit for us” adds Christian Wolfertstetter.
“We are very fortunate to have had a strong and secure publishing partner in Kalypso for over 10 years, who supports us at all times and shares our philosophy. At the same time, it is a great honour and a great responsibility for us to have such an important franchise as Tropico in our hands” says Benjamin Rauscher.
Realmforge Studios is currently working to put the finishing touches on long-awaited sci-fi strategy game Spacebase Startopia, in addition to the Tropico 6 add-on ‘Caribbean Skies’.
Both games can be pre-ordered for PC at the Kalypso Store. A closed beta for Spacebase Startopia is also available exclusively to those pre-purchasing the game before its spring launch next year.
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