Focus Entertainment has added another studio to its growing group with the acquisition of BlackMill Games, known for its WW1 Game Series first-person shooters.
The Netherlands-based studio previously sold a majority stake in its business to fellow Dutch developer M2H Games. Focus has now acquired this stake, making BlackMill the sixth studio purchased since June 2020.
Within the deal is the company WW1 Game Series B.V., named for BlackMill’s flagship series of first-person shooters. Founder and creative director Jos Hoebe will continue to lead the studio and own the remaining 33.33% stake in the business.
Going forward, the team of 15 will only be known as BlackMill Games.
The WW1 Game Series launched in 2015 with Verdun, followed by Tannenberg in 2017, and the two games have sold more than one million copies between them. Isonzo, the latest entry, arrives on console and PC today.
Over the past two years, Focus Entertainment has also acquired Lords of the Fallen developer Deck 13, Warhammer shooter dev Streum On Studio, retro publisher and developer Dotemu, Shady Part of Me creator Douze Dixièmes, and Metal Slug Tactics dev Leiker Studio.
The publisher discussed its M&A strategy with GamesIndustry.biz earlier this year, telling us it is “trying to build a Federation of Studios.”
