Based on a press release from the Hong Kong stock exchange (kindly reported on by an intrepid NeoGAFer), it seems that developer Splash Damage is currently in the process of being sold to, of all things, a Chinese chicken supplier.
Splash Damage is the team responsible for Enemy Territory (in both Wolfenstein and Quake Wars flavors), and the multiplayer components of games like Doom 3, Batman: Arkham Origins, and Gears of War 4. They’ve also developed original titles such as as Brink and Dirty Bomb, as well as handling the updated Gears of War: Ultimate Edition.
In addition to Splash Damage itself, the acquisition includes Fireteam, a tech and consultancy company for online gaming solutions, and WarChest, the management company handling the group’s original online games and IPs. All three companies are currently wholly owned by Paul Wedgewood, who founded Splash Damage with fellow modders from the Quake III community.
Leyou Technologies is the company behind the acquisition, and their business has historically been the production, distribution, and sale of chicken meat. But given the lucrative Asian market for online multiplayer games, it should be no surprise that a large Chinese company might choose to diversify their business by acquiring game developers. Leyou recently purchased a major stake in Digital Extremes, a storied developer whose credits include significant work on the Unreal franchise as well as the popular free-to-play shooter, Warframe.
