While there were some rumours swirling around this weekend about Techland being acquired by Microsoft, a studio community manager has since spoken out, claiming the rumours are untrue.
The rumour initially stemmed from the Defining Duke podcast, when a host mentioned that Microsoft was in talks to acquire another studio in 2021. A second source later chimed in on Twitter, claiming that Techland was the studio being acquired and that Dying Light 2 would become an Xbox Game Studios exclusive.
Since then, Techland community manager, known online as ‘Uncy', has attempted to set the record straight. According to him, the situation at Techland has not changed, the studio remains independent and unacquired:
“I'm getting a lot of dm's about Dying Light acquisition so I'll answer here: There was the same rumour floating around the internet one year ago and the situation didn't change – Techland is an independent studio and it was not acquired by another publisher.”
The replies aren't entirely in agreement, with some fans still choosing to believe the rumour. Techland is currently developing Dying Light 2, the game is supposedly releasing sometime in 2021.
KitGuru Says: For now, it looks like Techland will be remaining independent. Still, given Microsoft's acquisition spree and prior relationship with the studio, I'd be surprised if the company didn't at least approach Techland at some point.