CD Projekt enters mobile games development with Spokko
Parent of Cyberpunk and Witcher developer will give team access to its IP, holds majority stake in business
The CD Projekt Group is expanding into mobile games, thanks to Polish mobile games studio Spokko.
The mobile studio developer is already starting work on an unannounced project, led by co-founders Maciej Weiss and Rafał Staszewski.
CD Projekt has taken a majority stake in Spokko and the studio is now part of the Group, although there appears to be some confusion as to whether this is a new company.
While CD Projekt refers to it as such several times in its statement, Staszewski has actually released 13 casual mobile games under the brand, starting with Save Kitty back in January 2009.
It appears to be an acquisition, given how Spokko is now part of the CD Projekt Group, but GamesIndustry.biz has reached out for clarification.
"We have known the people behind Spokko for several years," says group president Adam Kiciński. "They approached us with an interesting idea based on one of our brands - an idea we decided to invest in. We want to expand our business with innovative concepts and solutions, and the vision presented to us by the Spokko team represents an entirely novel creative angle.
"The new studio will be largely independent. We intend to provide it with a distinct identity and creative autonomy, in line with the philosophy which has long guided the actions of the CD Projekt Group."
There are no details on what Spokko's first project for the group might be, but CD Projekt's announcement reveals it will provide the company with access to its IP.
While The Witcher and Cyberpunk fans may get excited at the idea of mobile spin-offs, neither IP is owned by CD Projekt since the two series are based on a series of novels and a tabletop RPG respectively.
More likely is that Spokko will develop a mobile version of Gwent, the ficitional card game CD Projekt Red (the group's development division and the team behind The Witcher games) created for The Witcher III. Gwent is currently being spun out as a standalone PC product, with a growing esports scene behind it.
Regardless, if CD Projekt can grow Spokko into a thriving mobile business, it will add another major pillar to the group's operations, alongside the Red development team, its distribution business, and online digital retailer GOG.com.