Former Control lead designer’s NetEase studio ‘not affected by any closures’
NetEase’s Anchor Point Studios is “still full steam ahead” making its debut game
The NetEase studio founded and headed by former Control lead designer Paul Ehreth hasn’t been impacted by any restructuring of the Chinese tech giant’s games business.
Ehreth, the CEO and creative director of Anchor Point Studios, published a statement on Monday confirming that work on the company’s debut game is “still full steam ahead”.
His statement was released following reports that numerous NetEase studios, including Quantic Dream, Nagoshi Studio, and Grasshopper, are at risk of closure after the Chinese publisher decided to divest its international operations.
Previously known for its popular PC MMOs and mobile games, NetEase has expanded significantly in recent years, acquiring and establishing studios from industry veterans in Japan, North America, and Europe. However, as the games industry continues to endure turbulent times, there have been signs that, in recent months, it could be scaling back its ambitions – although NetEase has denied suggestions that recent cuts are part of a wider change of strategy.
“Due to recent news of multiple studio closures, we’ve had many friends and fans reach out to us out of concern,” Ehreth said in a statement published on X. “After responding to each of them, I wanted to make a more formal statement that Anchor Point Studios has not been affected by any studio closures, and we are still full steam ahead building our game.
“So far, NetEase has been a great partner for us, giving us creative control and development support, and we look forward to the prospect of shipping an exceptional game together in the future.
“While it may be stormy seas at the moment for the industry, we are very much still growing, and we have several positions open for anyone looking for a safe harbor.”
Anchor Point, which was established in 2023, is currently seeking to hire a senior game designer, a senior AI designer and a lead level designer.
“The studio’s motto is Per Aspera, Ad Astra (through hardships, to the stars) which speaks to our team’s desire to pour everything we have into all that we do, building action-adventure experiences that take risks and journey deep into uncharted territory,” according to its website.
