New studio formed by Wolfpack veterans

Veterans of Ubisoft's recently closed Wolfpack Studios have established Stray Bullet Games, pledging to continue support for the former studio's MMO title, Shadowbane.

Ubisoft recently announced a cancellation of the subscription fee for Shadowbane, which launched in March 2004 and had previously been operated on a monthly charge of USD 12.99 per month.

Whilst the free-to-play MMO model is becoming increasingly popular, there appeared to be more behind the French publisher's decision, which was confirmed at the end of March when employees posted news of the studio's closure.

According to the publisher's official statement at the time, "Ubisoft will be closing its Wolfpack studio in Austin, Texas on May 15, 2006. The decision is part of an overall strategy to concentrate Ubisoft's development in its larger studios where more resources are available. Ubisoft is looking for relocation opportunities for all of the very talented Wolfpack employees within Ubisoft."

Stray Bullet Games has been established by key members of the Wolfpack team, and the studio has been contracted by Ubisoft to continue to support Shadowbane - although it is unknown at this stage whether new content or features will be created for the title.

Comments on the weblog of Sean 'Ashen Temper' Dahlberg - Stray Bullet Games employee and former community manager at Wolfpack - state that the new studio "definitely does not plan on being a one-trick pony," and will be working on designing and crafting their very own next-generation MMO game in addition to providing continued support for Shadowbane.