Splash Damage

Last updated

Splash Damage Ltd.
Company type Subsidiary
Industry Video games
Founded2001;23 years ago (2001) [1]
Founders Paul Wedgwood, Richard Jolly, Arnout van Meer
Headquarters London, England
Products Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
Owner Tencent
Number of employees
400+ [2]
Parent Splash Damage Group (2016–present)
Website SplashDamage.com

Splash Damage Ltd. is a British video game developer specialising in multiplayer first-person shooter video games. The studio is best known as the creators of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars .

Contents

History

Formation (2001)

Splash Damage was formed in May [3] or June 2001 [1] by the creators of mods such as Quake 3 Fortress, who was then joined by a number of modders from the Team Fortress and Quake 3 modding scene. The studio began life working with Now TV and Gamer.tv, providing both custom maps and an in-game television production solution. Splash Damage staff also worked to produce and present over 150 TV shows based on Quake III Arena Capture the Flag, creating editing tools and virtual cameras, and editing in-game footage.

Enemy Territory Era (2002–2007)

In March 2002, Splash Damage partnered with Games Domain to produce a number of multiplayer maps for their online gaming service. One of these was the map Operation Market Garden for id Software's Return to Castle Wolfenstein which immediately became the most played third-party map for the game.

Following Market Garden's success, Activision and id Software asked Splash Damage to produce three additional multiplayer maps for the Return to Castle Wolfenstein Game of the Year Edition.

The same year, Splash Damage partnered with the two companies to develop Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory , a stand-alone expansion based on Return to Castle Wolfenstein. This was originally envisioned to include both a single-player campaign developed by Mad Doc Software and a multiplayer mode developed by Splash Damage, however the single player campaign was dropped.

The Windows version of Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory was released online for free on 29 May 2003, with Linux and Mac versions following later. Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory won several Game of the Year and Editor's Choice awards, [4] was nominated for a BAFTA, and is still an incredibly popular online FPS in 2021, with a number of fan projects and tournaments.

In June 2003 and once again working with id Software, Splash Damage created all the maps for Doom 3's multiplayer mode.

At the same as Doom 3, Splash Damage began pre-production on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars , a follow-up to Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory using a heavily modified version of the id Tech 4 engine and set in the Quake universe, adding a first for the series in the form of vehicles.

Splash Damage grew from seven people on the team at the start team to thirty by the end of the project, in part due to the challenge of creating brand new assets rather than using existing ones on previous titles.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars shipped on 28 September 2007, and has won dozens of awards to date, including several Game of the Year awards and over 25 Editor's Choice awards. [5] The game was later ported to Xbox 360 by Nerve Software who had also contributed a number of maps to the PC version.

Later games & Warchest/Fireteam (2008–2015)

In 2008, Splash Damage announced they would be partnering with Bethesda Softworks on an unannounced title. [6] In 2009, Splash Damage and Bethesda announced Brink, [7] which would eventually be released in May 2011 [8] and was Splash Damage’s first multiplatform title. In August 2011 Splash Damage and Bethesda released the Agents of Change DLC for Brink. [9]

In 2012, Splash Damage launched a publishing division called Warchest and a back-end technology business called Fireteam. [10] It was described as “Splash Damage’s call-to-arms for free-to-play games that are both high-quality and non-exploitative.” [11] These smaller companies went on to publish and support a number of future Splash Damage.

Warchest’s first published game was RAD Soldiers, released in December 2012 on iOS devices, another first for Splash Damage. The tactics-styled game was released after five months of open public testing and over 100,000 pre-registrations, [12] and was made available PC as a free download in the Chrome Web Store in 2013.

On 25 October 2013 Splash Damage partnered with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to create the multiplayer mode for Batman Arkham Origins. Named Invisible Predator Online, this was the Batman Arkham series' first multiplayer mode. [13]

16 February 2015 saw the launch of Splash Damage’s second Warchest-published title and second mobile title with Tempo, released exclusively on iOS.

Dirty Bomb was released on 1 June 2015, entering its open beta phase after two years in closed beta. [14] The free-to-play multiplayer first person shooter title launched on PC with 12 playable mercenaries and two game modes, with more mercenaries, modes and events added over the game’s lifespan. Dirty Bomb was originally published by Nexon, but the publishing rights were transferred to WarChest in 2017. [15] On 18 October 2018 Splash Damage announced they were ending all live developments and updates on the game, [16] but also removed all monetization and made the game completely free to play.

Microsoft partnership (2015–2020)

2015 saw the start of Splash Damage’s partnership with Microsoft and The Coalition, as they provided development support on Gears Of War Ultimate Edition which released on 25 August 2015 for Xbox and 1 March 2016 for PC. [17]

This partnership continued into 2016, as Splash Damage provided multiplayer support on Gears of War 4. This included level design, art support and matchmaking, with the game releasing worldwide on 11 October 2016. [18]

Earlier, in July 2016, Splash Damage, alongside its sister companies Warchest and Fireteam, were acquired by Leyou, a Chinese holding company, via its Radius Maxima subsidiary. [19]

In 2019, Splash Damage provided similar development help for Gears 5, working on level design and art for various multiplayer modes including Versus and Escape; a mode new to the Gears franchise.

Escape mode also included a map editor which utilised a special tile system, and Splash Damage was involved in building these tiles. Gears 5 launched on 10 September 2019 for Xbox One and PC, with an upgraded version for Xbox Series S/X launching on 10 November 2020.

Also in 2019, Splash Damage worked on another Microsoft title: Halo: The Master Chief Collection, in partnership with 343 Industries. [20] Splash Damage was involved in porting the title to PC, and this version of the title released on 3 December 2019.

Splash Damage’s next game in this partnership was Gears Tactics, [21] a turn-based strategy game set 12 years before the original Gears of War game. Gears Tactics released on 28 April 2020 for PC and 10 November 2020 for Xbox consoles, [22] and was nominated for Best Sim/Strategy game at The Game Awards 2020. [23]

Tencent buyout (2020 – present)

In March 2020, Splash Damage announced a new partnership, this time with Google Stadia. [24] Outcasters was announced in July 2020 as an exclusive title for the Google Stadia platform, and published by Stadia Games & Entertainment. Outcasters is a competitive online multiplayer top-down shooter set in a stylised "vinyl world", and launched on 3 December 2020. It is one of a small number of titles to take advantage of Stadia’s Crowd Play and Crowd Choice features, [25] allowing viewers to play the game with a streamer. However, following the shut down of Stadia Games and Entertainment in February 2021, the publishing rights for Outcasters reverted back to Warchest on 31 May 2021. [26]

On 23 December 2020 Tencent officially acquired Splash Damage’s parent company Leyou. [27] In a blog post published at the time, the studio stressed that they would be retaining their independence and will "operate as an independent entity within the Tencent family". [28] CEO Richard Jolly further expanded on this in an interview with gamesindustry.biz [29] where he also spoke about Splash Damage’s expansion, future projects and plans. Radius Maxima was rebranded Splash Damage Group in February 2021. [30]

On 13 October 2021 Splash Damage announced that they are working on a “brand new game in an original sci-fi universe”. [31] No further details are known about the project, but it is one of “several ambitious projects” [29] in production at the studio.

On December 8 2022, during the 2022 Game Awards, it was announced Splash Damage's next game would be Transformers: Reactivate, a 1-4 player online action game based on the franchise of the same name.

On December 9 2022 it was announced Splash Damage had acquired the Derby-based games studio Bulkhead, for an undisclosed sum. [32]

On March 16 2023, Splash Damage along with streamers Shroud and Sacriel announced a partnership on a new project called "Project Astrid", an open-world survival game. [33]

Games developed

YearTitlePlatform(s)Publisher(s)
2002 Return to Castle Wolfenstein (multiplayer)Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac Activision
2003 Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory
2004 Doom 3 (multiplayer)
2007 Enemy Territory: Quake Wars Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
2011 Brink Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Bethesda Softworks
2012 RAD Soldiers [34] iOS, WebWarchest
2013 Batman: Arkham Origins (multiplayer)Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
2014 Dirty Bomb [35] Microsoft Windows Nexon (until 2017), Warchest (from 2017)
2015Tempo [36] iOSWarchest
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition [37] Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series Consoles Xbox Game Studios
2016 Gears of War 4 (multiplayer) [38]
2019 Gears 5 (multiplayer) [39]
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (PC version) [40]
2020 Gears Tactics [41]
Outcasters [42] (discontinued)Google StadiaStadia Games and Entertainment (until May 2021), Warchest (from May 2021)
TBATransformers: Reactivate [43] To be announcedTo be announced.
TBAProject Astrid [44] To be announcedTo be announced

Awards

DateAwardResult
2008Develop Industry Excellence Award for Best Independent Studio [45] Won
2008Ultraweb Level 4 Award [46] Won
2008Golden Joystick award for UK Developer of the Year [47] Nominated
2009Guardian Top 100 UK Tech & Media Companies [48] Won
2015Best Companies Ones to Watch [49] Won
2016Best Companies 2 Star Accreditation [50] Won
2016Amazon Growing Business Awards [51] Nominated
2018Best Companies [52]
47th
2021Best Companies – Best Large Companies [53]
58th
2021Best Companies – London's Best Large Companies [53]
29th
2021Best Companies 3 Star Accreditation [53] Won

The full list of awards can be found on their web site. [54]

Related Research Articles

id Software American video game developer

id Software LLC is an American video game developer based in Richardson, Texas. It was founded on February 1, 1991, by four members of the computer company Softdisk: programmers John Carmack and John Romero, game designer Tom Hall, and artist Adrian Carmack.

<i>Quake II</i> 1997 video game

Quake II is a 1997 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. It is the second installment of the Quake series, following Quake. The game's storyline is continued in its expansions, including one tying in Quake II and the first game, and Quake 4.

<i>Quake</i> (video game) 1996 video game

Quake is a first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by GT Interactive. The first game in the Quake series, it was originally released for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows and Linux in 1996, followed by Mac OS and Sega Saturn in 1997 and Nintendo 64 in 1998. In the game, players must find their way through various maze-like, medieval environments while battling monsters using an array of weaponry. Quake takes inspiration from gothic fiction and the works of H. P. Lovecraft.

<i>Rise of the Triad</i> 1995 first-person shooter video game

Rise of the Triad: Dark War is a first-person shooter video game, developed and published by Apogee Software in 1995. The player can choose one of five different characters to play as, each bearing unique attributes such as height, speed, and endurance. The game's story follows these five characters who have been sent to investigate a deadly cult, and soon become aware of a deadly plot to destroy a nearby city. Its remake was designed by Interceptor Entertainment and released by Apogee Games in 2013. The shareware version of the game is titled Rise of the Triad: The HUNT Begins.

<i>Return to Castle Wolfenstein</i> 2001 video game

Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a first-person shooter video game published by Activision, released on November 20, 2001, for Microsoft Windows and subsequently for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Linux and Macintosh. The game serves as a reboot of the Wolfenstein series. It was developed by Gray Matter Studios and Nerve Software developed its multiplayer mode. id Software, the creators of Wolfenstein 3D, oversaw the development and were credited as executive producers. The multiplayer side eventually became the most popular part of the game, and was influential in the genre. Splash Damage created some of the maps for the Game of the Year edition. A sequel, titled Wolfenstein, was released on August 18, 2009.

<i>Doom 3</i> 2004 video game

Doom 3 is a 2004 survival horror first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Activision. Doom 3 was originally released for Microsoft Windows on August 3, 2004, adapted for Linux later that year, and ported by Aspyr Media for Mac OS X in 2005. Developer Vicarious Visions ported the game to the Xbox, releasing it worldwide on April 4, 2005.

<i>Quake 4</i> 2005 video game

Quake 4 is a 2005 military science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision. It is the fourth title in the Quake series, after the multiplayer Quake III Arena, and a sequel to Quake II. Raven Software collaborated with id Software, who supervised the development of the game as well as provided the id Tech 4 engine upon which it was built. The game has an increased emphasis on single-player gameplay compared to previous installments; its multiplayer mode does not support playable bots.

<i>Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory</i> 2003 video game

Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory is a free and open-source multiplayer first-person shooter video game within the Wolfenstein series. It was originally planned to be released as a commercial expansion pack to Return to Castle Wolfenstein and later as a standalone game. However, due to problems with the single-player aspect, the multiplayer portion was released on 29 May 2003 as a freeware standalone game. In January 2004, the source code for the game logic was released to the benefit of its modding community.

<i>Enemy Territory: Quake Wars</i> 2007 video game

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is a first-person shooter video game developed by Splash Damage and published by Activision for Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was first released in the PAL region on September 28, 2007, and later in North America on October 2. It is a spinoff of the Quake series and the successor to 2003's Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory.

Wolfenstein is a series of World War II video games originally developed by Muse Software. The majority of the games follow William "B.J." Blazkowicz, an American Army captain, and his fight against the Axis powers. Earlier titles are centered around Nazis attempting to harness supernatural and occult forces, while later games are set in an alternate history in which Axis powers won World War II.

id Tech Series of video game engines

id Tech is a series of separate game engines designed and developed by id Software. Prior to the presentation of the id Tech 5-based game Rage in 2011, the engines lacked official designation and as such were simply referred to as the Doom and Quake engines, from the name of the main game series the engines had been developed for. "id Tech" has been released as free software under the GNU General Public License. id Tech versions 0 to 3 were released under GPL-2.0-or-later. id Tech versions 3.5 to 4.5 were released under GPL-3.0-or-later. id Tech 5 to 7 are proprietary, with id Tech 7 currently being the latest utilized engine.

<i>Doom</i> (2016 video game) First-person shooter

Doom is a 2016 first-person shooter video game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The game is the first major installment in the Doom series since 2004's Doom 3 and was a reboot of the franchise. It was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in May 2016. A port for Nintendo Switch was co-developed with Panic Button and released in November 2017, and a version for Google Stadia was released in August 2020. Players take the role of an unnamed space marine, known as the "Doom Slayer", as he battles demonic forces within an energy-mining facility on Mars and in Hell.

<i>Wolfenstein</i> (2009 video game) 2009 video game

Wolfenstein is a first-person shooter video game developed by Raven Software and published by Activision, part of the Wolfenstein video game series. It serves as a loose sequel to the 2001 entry Return to Castle Wolfenstein, and uses an enhanced version of id Software's id Tech 4. The game was released in August 2009 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

<i>Brink</i> (video game) 2011 video game

Brink is a first-person shooter video game developed by Splash Damage and published by Bethesda Softworks for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2011. In Brink, two factions, Resistance and Security, battle in a once-utopian city called The Ark, a floating city above the waters of a flooded Earth.

<i>Gears of War 4</i> 2016 video game

Gears of War 4 is a 2016 third-person shooter video game developed by The Coalition and published by Microsoft Studios for Windows and Xbox One. It is the fourth main installment in the Gears of War series, and the first mainline entry not to be developed by Epic Games. The game was released worldwide on October 11, 2016. The sequel, Gears 5, was released on September 10, 2019.

Paul Wedgwood is one of three founders of video game developer Splash Damage and was the CEO of the company until end of 2018.

Dirty Bomb, formerly known as Extraction, is a free to play first-person shooter multiplayer video game. It was developed by Splash Damage and initially published by Nexon America for Microsoft Windows, and open beta version was released in June 2015. As of February 2017, Warchest, an in-house publishing arm of Splash Damage has taken over from Nexon America as the publisher for the game. Dirty Bomb is Splash Damage's first intellectual property.

<i>Doom Eternal</i> 2020 video game

Doom Eternal is a first-person shooter game developed by id Software and published by Bethesda Softworks. The sequel to Doom (2016), and the seventh game in the Doom series, it was released for PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows, and Xbox One on March 20, 2020, with a port for Nintendo Switch released on December 8, 2020, and versions for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S released on June 29, 2021.

<i>Wolfenstein: Youngblood</i> 2019 video game

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a 2019 first-person shooter developed by MachineGames and Arkane Lyon and published by Bethesda Softworks. A spin-off of the Wolfenstein series, the game was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in July 2019 and Stadia in November 2019 as a launch title. The game received mixed reviews from critics who felt it was a step down from previous installments, although some reviewers praised the combat.

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