Typhoon Studios, the creators of the upcoming co-op 3D action-adventure game Journey to the Savage Planet, have been acquired by Google, the tech giant announced today.
The Stadia team will welcome Typhoon to its operations in Montreal led directly by Sebastien Puel, while the brand as a whole is overseen by Jade Raymond, Both of them, like Typhoon's co-founders Alex Hutchinson and Reid Schneider, spent time at Ubisoft.
"Working with some of the best game creators in the world, we’ve learned that a successful studio comes down to great people who have a vision to execute on the best ideas," said Raymond in a statement. "We’re always looking for people who share our passion and vision for the future of gaming, which is why I’m so excited that Typhoon Studios, the independent developers behind the upcoming Journey to the Savage Planet, is joining Stadia Games and Entertainment."
Typhoon was formed in 2017 when AAA game development veterans from places like EA, Warner Bros., and Ubisoft broke away to create something free from the typical publisher's gaze which, according to Typhoon's community manager Denis Lanno, can get obstructive. "We used to have to call a meeting for every little idea," he told me during a hands-on session at PAX West this past August.
Typhoon's debut title Journey to the Savage Planet eschews the doom and gloom of AAA in favor of a colorful co-op adventure in a metroidvania-inspired alien world. It's being published by 505 Games in just a few weeks on January 28, 2020 for Xbox One, PC, and PS4. Google said the team will continue to work on the game as they're brought into the fold at Stadia, though they did not confirm whether this meant Journey to the Savage Planet will release on Stadia. We've reached out to the Stadia team and will update this story should they share any new information with us.
