Two Kabam studios form Aftershock following Netmarble acquisition
New company has “opened itself for acquisition”, conversations already underway with potential buyers
Mobile games firm Kabam has spun-off two of its studios and its remaining assets into a new company called Aftershock.
Aftershock comprises of Kabam's former teams in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and is run by much of Kabam's leadership team, Pocket Gamer reports. Kevin Chou acts as CEO, Steve Klei as CFO, Kent Wakeford as COO and Aaron Loeb as president of studios and live services.
The San Francisco studio is working on a prototype for a new game, while the LA team is building an MMO based on James Cameron's Avatar, plus an unannounced title based on "an iconic entertainment brand".
The formation of Aftershock follows Kabam's sale of its Vancouver studio and the Marvel: Contest of Champions to Netmarble last year. Essentially it bundles all its remaining assets into a simple package that another firm may be able to purchase, fitting in with plans to sell the rest of the company in 2017.
Sure enough, Pocket Gamer reports Aftershock has "opened itself for acquisition, and has begun conversations with prospective buyers for all or parts of the company".
Netmarble's acquisition of Kabam completed this week. The firm's Tim Fields has been promoted to CEO of Kabam Games, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Netmarble.