Gearbox funding Blackbird's Hardware: Shipbreakers as Homeworld: Shipbreakers

Blackbird Interactive had been developing a spiritual, ground-based successor to Homeworld called Hardware: Shipbreakers. The developer has announced that it will be getting funding from Gearbox to turn the spiritual successor into an actual Homeworld game, retitled Homeworld: Shipbreakers.

The deal was negotiated and signed last week.

Hardware: Shipbreakers was in financial trouble, as Blackbird did not have the funds to complete the game. Gearbox, which is releasing remakes of the original two Homeworld games, signed an agreement with the developer to help fund the game.

According to CEO Randy Pitchford, the game needed “many millions of dollars more”. As a result of the cash inflow, Blackbird is now hiring additional staff to work on the game. Gearbox admitted that while the company bought the rights to Homeworld from THQ, it did not have the tools to develop a science fiction real-time strategy game. Now, the company can let a more qualified studio work on it.

Hardware: Shipbreakers was first announced by Blackbird back in April 2013.