‘Borderlands’ developer Gearbox acquires ‘Risk of Rain’ series

Gearbox has announced an acquisition of roguelite shooter Risk Of Rain, and says a “very special passion project” is on the way.

In a statement published yesterday (November 17), Gearbox – the publisher behind 2020’s Risk Of Rain 2 – announced that it had purchased the Risk of Rain series from developer Hopoo Games.

“After years of passionate publishing work on Risk Of Rain 2, we have developed a deep love and respect for the IP,” reads the message. “We are eager to prove ourselves as worthy custodians by continuing to bring your world-class content and ensuring a bright future for this genre-leading franchise.”

“As for right now, we’re working hard to bring Risk Of Rain 2‘s Survivors Of The Void DLC to consoles,” continued Gearbox, adding that it “can’t wait to share more details soon about a very special passion project that we’re working on with our great friends at Hopoo.”

While details on the mystery project are limited, Gearbox teased that it will be a “true love letter to the community.”

Hopoo Games has described the purchase as “excellent news” for fans of the series, and in this message verified by NME, community manager Jonathan Cheetham confirmed that Hopoo Games “will not be working on Risk Of Rain 2 or any future titles” in the series.

It’s been a busy few days for Gearbox. Yesterday (November 17) the studio’s owner, Embracer Group, announced that Saints Row developer Volition “will transition to become part of Gearbox.”

The company said that Gearbox “has all the tools, including an experienced management team in the US, to create future success at Volition.”

The transition follows Embracer Group claiming Volition’s Saints Row reboot failed to meet the company’s “full expectations” left fans “partially polarised.”