Outriders and Bulletstorm studio People Can Fly is revisiting one of the partnerships that helped propel it into the spotlight, teaming up with Microsoft once again for what will surely be a new Xbox exclusive.
News of the agreement came through Interia Biznes. The agreement sees People Can Fly taking on work-for-hire duties, developing a new game codenamed Project Maverick, which will be “based on the intellectual property rights” of Microsoft. The IP isn’t clear at present, but the studio is known for its shooters, so that should narrow the field of what it could be. The deal is worth between $30 million and $50 million.
People Can Fly and Microsoft previously collaborated on 2013’s Gears of War: Judgment, a prequel spinoff to the ongoing Gears saga, which was exclusive to the Xbox 360.
It’s another project for the studio’s already loaded plate. People Can Fly already has a new game set to be published by Square Enix (codenamed “Gemini”), as well as three more that are intended to be self-published. It’s also teamed up with an external studio to create a VR version of breakout hit Bulletstorm.
Meanwhile, it’s another potentially lucrative agreement for Microsoft, which already has a number of third-party exclusives on the hob, including Contraband from Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios, Towerborne from The Banner Saga developer Stoic Studio, and unannounced games from Kojima Productions and IO Interactive.
