NetEase opens new Western studio, Spliced Inc | Pocket Gamer.biz

NetEase has announced the opening of a new studio, Spliced Inc, reports Techraptor.

“Let’s redefine what a game is and how we interact with them. We want to make games that everyone wants to play, and invite the whole world into ours,” reads Spliced Inc’s website. “Together, we’ll discover connection and innovation you’ve never experienced before and an amazing world you’ll never leave behind.”

Details of the company’s future games remain scant at present, and it appears that the company is focusing on building its workforce before announcing its projects. However, Pocket Tactics notes that the new opening, coming on the heels of the high-profile end of NetEase’s deal with Blizzard, could represent an increased desire for the company to focus on in-house development.

A wave of expansion

Taking to Linkedin, Spliced Inc CTO Brian Neal stated “A bit over two years ago, there was a vision: A new company for a new experience in games. Quietly, diligently, we pitched our vision, assembled our dream team, and–thanks to our fantastic partner in NetEase–our talented team has been working hard to make that original vision a reality for the past year.”

We have much more work ahead of us, but at Spliced, years have felt like minutes, and I have never been so fortunate as to be surrounded by such a brilliant and passionate group of people. Here’s to the future of fun!”

The company is based in Manchester, however it will operate on a remote business model with staff from around the world.

The past year has seen NetEase continuing its expansion in foreign markets, most recently with the acquisition of Halo Infinite co-developer Skybox Labs in January. Recent regulatory changes in China has seen many tech companies in the area opening new locations in more favourable markets, especially as more and more of them attempt to stake a claim in the nascent metaverse. Opening new studios overseas can help these game makers circumvent issues specific to China’s market, such as limits on the play time of young gamers.

We listed NetEase as the top mobile game maker of 2022.