REACTION - The Molasses Flood Deserve To Keep Their Creative Independence

Money hat.

By Jay Tee
25/10/21

Studio acquisitions have always been a recurring element in the games industry, but the last two years or so have seen a particular flurry of activity in that arena. Major publishers are snapping up talented teams across the board, as companies like Microsoft, Sony, and even Amazon drop mega bucks in exchange for exclusivity and experience.

Despite that trend, CD Projekt Red’s purchase of The Flame in the Flood developer The Molasses Flood seems a bit out of place; the two studios are vastly different in terms of team size and project scope, and after Cyberpunk’s disastrous launch, you’d think an indie studio would be allergic to the prospect of AAA bloat.

Nevertheless, The Molasses Flood released a statement which stated that their new owners will “embrace us and support our own culture and growth”. On paper, this is the ideal scenario, but given that they’re now working on a CD Projekt Red IP, one hopes that isn’t merely PR speak and they will indeed retain the independence that has defined their existing body of work.