Another day, another Microsoft acquisition rumor. This time it’s Dying Light developer Techland’s turn, and over the weekend it’s speculated that it’s being absorbed by Xbox boss Phil Spencer’s green machine. To be honest, this is not the first time we’ve heard this rumor in the past year – presumably because it’s one of the few remaining major independent developers yet to be eaten up.
As such, it’s a source of the story this time well, not easy. As far as we can see, the latest round of reports comes from a podcast called Defining Duke, in which one of the hosts indicated that Microsoft is in the market for another developer or publisher to launch its software offering for 2021 to supplement. While the provider did not expand, the host of a else Xbox podcast – we hope you keep up – posted on Twitter that they are ‘reasonably sure’ of his Techland. We know – eyeroll emoji, and all that.
Apart from shaky sources, the story has gathered enough steam to attract a remark from the Polish studio’s community manager. He said: “Techland is an independent studio and was not acquired by another publisher.”
Of course, little has been done to stem the speculation. Many have pointed out that even if there is an out-of-screen buy-out, the developer cannot comment on it until the ink is dry. We suppose stranger things happened – Bethesda, for now – but the way this story came about leaves us speechless; until more concrete evidence emerges, it is for the time being a pure hearsay.