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Daybreak Game Company LLC is an American
video game developer A video game developer is a broad term for a software developer specializing in video game development – the process and related disciplines of creating video games. A game developer can range from one person who undertakes all tasks to a large ...
based in
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
. The company was founded in December 1997 as Sony Online Entertainment, a subsidiary of
Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
, but was spun off to an independent investor in February 2015 and renamed Daybreak Game Company. On December 1, 2020, Daybreak Game Company entered into an agreement to be acquired by
Enad Global 7 Enad Global 7 AB (also known as EG7) is a Swedish video game holding company based in Stockholm. It was founded as Toadman Interactive in 2013 by Robin Flodin and Rasmus Davidsson as a work-for-hire consultancy studio. The company began fully ...
. They are known for owning, maintaining, and creating additional content for the games ''
EverQuest ''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows PCs. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North Americ ...
'', ''
EverQuest II ''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
'', ''
The Matrix Online ''The Matrix Online'' (abbreviated as ''MxO'') was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) initially developed by Monolith Productions and later, a few months after launch, by Sony Online Entertainment. It was advertised as a ...
'', ''
PlanetSide ''PlanetSide'' was a massively-multiplayer online first-person-shooter video game published by Sony Online Entertainment and released on May 20, 2003. ''PlanetSide'' chronicles the efforts of three factions as they fight for territorial contro ...
'', ''
Star Wars Galaxies ''Star Wars Galaxies'' was a ''Star Wars'' themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts. Released on June 26, 2003, to much critical ac ...
'', ''
Clone Wars Adventures ''Clone Wars Adventures'' was an online virtual world based on the animated television series '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. Players could create and customize in-world avatars and participate in a variety of Clone Wars-themed mini-games and a ...
'', ''
Free Realms ''Free Realms'' was a massively multiplayer online game, massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing video game, role playing video game developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Mac and PlayStation 3 tha ...
'', '' Vanguard: Saga of Heroes'', ''
DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
'', ''
PlanetSide 2 ''PlanetSide 2'' is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter developed by Rogue Planet Games and published by Daybreak Game Company. The game supports battles with thousands of players (up to 2,000 on a single map) and inc ...
'', '' H1Z1: Just Survive'', and '' H1Z1: King of the Kill'', along with more recent acquisitions ''
Dungeons and Dragons Online ''Dungeons & Dragons Online'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Turbine for Microsoft Windows and OS X. The game was originally marketed as ''Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach''. Upon switching to a h ...
'', '' Magic: The Gathering Online'' and ''
Lord of the Rings Online ''The Lord of the Rings Online'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows and OS X set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, taking place during the time period of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Originally dev ...
''.


History


Sony Online Entertainment Inc. (1997–2005)

Sony Online Entertainment began with
Sony Interactive Studios America 989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) that developed games for PlayStation consoles and Windows personal computers. Their games include ''EverQuest'', '' Twisted Metal III'', ''Twisted Metal 4'', ''Syphon Filter ...
(SISA), an internal game development studio of Sony, formed by 1995. In 1996, John Smedley was put in charge of SISA's development of an online
role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
. The game would evolve into the MMORPG ''
EverQuest ''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows PCs. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North Americ ...
''. Smedley hired programmers
Brad McQuaid Brad McQuaid (April 25, 1969 – November 18, 2019) was an American video game designer who was the key designer of ''EverQuest'', a highly successful massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 1999. He later co-founded S ...
and Steve Clover, who had come to Smedley's attention through their work on the single-player role-playing game ''Warwizard''. In April 1998, Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) was formed by merging parts of Sony Online Ventures with
Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Sony Pictures or SPE, and formerly known as Columbia Pictures Entertainment, Inc.) is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, ac ...
. Within a matter of months after this change, Sony Interactive Studios America was renamed
989 Studios 989 Studios was a division of Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) that developed games for PlayStation consoles and Windows personal computers. Their games include ''EverQuest'', '' Twisted Metal III'', ''Twisted Metal 4'', ''Syphon Filter ...
. Towards the end of 1998, 989 Studios shifted its strategy to making
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
games. The company's video game and online development branch spun off; John Smedley, Brad McQuaid and Russell Shanks, as well as 55 other ex-989 employees, founded RedEye Interactive, later renamed Verant Interactive. Verant Interactive launched ''
EverQuest ''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows PCs. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North Americ ...
'' on March 16, 1999, through Sony with modest expectations. The game became successful. Sales continued rising at a steady rate until mid-2001 when growth slowed. As of 2004, Sony reported subscription numbers close to 450,000. In March 2000, Verant released '' EverQuest: The Ruins of Kunark'', the first in a long list of
expansion pack An expansion pack, expansion set, supplement, or simply expansion is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game, video game or collectible card game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, characters, or an ...
s for ''EverQuest''. In April 2000, Verant hired former ''
Ultima Online ''Ultima Online'' (''UO'') is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released on September 24, 1997 by Origin Systems. Set in the '' Ultima'' universe, it is known for its extensive player versus player combat system. ...
'' developers
Raph Koster Raphael "Raph" Koster (born September 7, 1971) is an American entrepreneur, game designer, and author of '' A Theory of Fun for Game Design''. Koster is widely recognized for his work as the lead designer of ''Ultima Online'' and the creative di ...
and Rich Vogel. They formed an office in Austin, Texas, to develop ''
Star Wars Galaxies ''Star Wars Galaxies'' was a ''Star Wars'' themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows, developed by Sony Online Entertainment and published by LucasArts. Released on June 26, 2003, to much critical ac ...
'' for
LucasArts Lucasfilm Games (known as LucasArts between 1990 and 2021) is an American video game brand licensing, licensor that is part of Lucasfilm. It was founded in May 1982 by George Lucas as a video game development group alongside his film company; as ...
. SOE acquired Verant in June 2000, and eventually promoted Brad McQuaid to be its Chief Creative Officer. In October 2001, McQuaid resigned and founded
Sigil Games Online Sigil Games Online, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Carlsbad, California founded in January 2002 by Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler, key development team members who created EverQuest, the most popular massively multiplayer online role-pla ...
, drawing many of the original developers of ''EverQuest'' from SOE. Developed by Sony Online Entertainment, LucasArts released ''Star Wars Galaxies'' in 2003, which saw rapid growth, as expected. Bruce Woodcock estimates that ''Star Wars Galaxies'' reached nearly 300,000 subscribers within the year, before trailing off. LucasArts has released three expansions for ''Star Wars Galaxies'', ''Jump to Lightspeed'' in October 2004, ''Rage of the Wookiees'' in May 2005, and ''Trials Of Obi-Wan'' in November 2005. In 2003, the company also explored relatively untouched MMOG territory with the
massively multiplayer online first-person shooter A massively multiplayer online first-person shooter game (MMOFPS) is an online game which mixes the genres of first-person shooter and massively multiplayer online game. A MMOFPS is a real-time shooter experience where a very large number of play ...
''
PlanetSide ''PlanetSide'' was a massively-multiplayer online first-person-shooter video game published by Sony Online Entertainment and released on May 20, 2003. ''PlanetSide'' chronicles the efforts of three factions as they fight for territorial contro ...
'' and the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
MMORPG '' EverQuest Online Adventures''. ''PlanetSide'' enjoyed a reasonably successful launch, however it never attracted wide popularity. SOE released two expansions for ''PlanetSide'', a retail product titled ''Core Combat'', and ''Aftershock'', a free expansion. ''EverQuest Online Adventures'' was not as successful, but it spawned an expansion, ''EverQuest Online Adventures Frontiers''. The game was shut down on March 29, 2012, after nine years of operation. ''
EverQuest II ''EverQuest II'' is a 3D fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed and published by Sony Online Entertainment for Microsoft Windows PCs and released in November 2004. It is the sequel to the original ...
'' was released on November 9, 2004. The sequel was set hundreds of years after the original. Similar in strategy to ''EverQuest'', SOE has released several adventure packs and expansion packs for ''EverQuest II'', starting with ''The Bloodline Chronicles'' in March 2005. In January 2005, Sony Online Entertainment announced the creation of Station Publishing, a new label for distributing titles made by external developers. In November 2005, SOE added the New Game Enhancements to ''Star Wars Galaxies'', changing many of the game's core mechanics. This upset players and critics, with the level of concurrent players reduced to around 10,000; relatively few for the MMO industry. SOE has produced numerous ''EverQuest'' expansions and spin-off video games, including ''
Champions of Norrath ''Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest'' is an action role-playing video game for the PlayStation 2, set in the ''EverQuest'' universe. The game is playable with one single player or cooperative for up to four players. However, with a Networ ...
'' (for PlayStation 2) and ''
Lords of EverQuest ''Lords of EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy real-time strategy game released in December 2003. It was developed by the short-lived startup company Rapid Eye Entertainment and published by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). SOE distributes ''Lords of Ev ...
'' (Windows). They published '' Champions: Return to Arms'', the sequel to ''Champions of Norrath'', in February 2005. In August 2005, SOE entered a deal with
Warner Bros. Entertainment Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American Film studio, film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios, Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, Califo ...
which saw the acquisition and transition of ''
The Matrix Online ''The Matrix Online'' (abbreviated as ''MxO'') was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) initially developed by Monolith Productions and later, a few months after launch, by Sony Online Entertainment. It was advertised as a ...
'' to the existing line up of SOE games.


Sony Online Entertainment LLC (2006–2015)

In April 2006, Sony Online Entertainment, Inc. became Sony Online Entertainment LLC, owned by
Sony Pictures Digital Sony Pictures Digital (previously known as Columbia TriStar Interactive, Sony Pictures Interactive Network, and Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment) is a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. Operating under the trade name Sony Pictures Digital ...
and
Sony Computer Entertainment America Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
. In May 2006, it was announced that SOE would be co-publisher of '' Vanguard: Saga of Heroes''. However, Sigil retained full development rights, and SOE's role was only that of marketing, distribution, technical support, and hosting the game servers. SOE also announced the release of '' Field Commander'', its third game for the
PlayStation Portable The PlayStation Portable (PSP) is a handheld game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in PAL regions on September 1, 2005, ...
System. In August 2006, SOE announced the acquisition of developer Worlds Apart Productions, renaming the studio SOE-Denver. The studio has since released an online version of the '' WizKids'' pirates constructible strategy game. In November 2006, SOE released its first
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
title '' Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom'', within the launch window of the PlayStation 3 system. SOE also released ''Pirates Online Constructible Strategy Game'', the online version of the '' WizKids'' Pirates Constructible Strategy Game. In January 2007, SOE announced that it has licensed rights from Midway Home Entertainment to develop and release six classic Midway games for PlayStation 3 download, including ''
Mortal Kombat II ''Mortal Kombat II'' is a 1993 arcade fighting game originally produced by Midway for the arcades in 1993. It was later ported to multiple home systems, including MS-DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, Game Gear, Sega Genesis, 32X, Sega Saturn, Super Nint ...
'', ''
Gauntlet II ''Gauntlet II'' is a 1986 arcade game produced by Atari Games that serves as the immediate sequel to the original '' Gauntlet'', which was released the previous year. Like its predecessor, ''Gauntlet II'' is a fantasy-themed top down dungeon ...
'', ''
Joust Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horse riders wielding lances with blunted tips, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim was to replicate a clash of heavy cavalry, with each participant trying to strike the opponent w ...
'', ''
Rampage World Tour ''Rampage World Tour'' is a video game released in 1997 and is the second game in the '' Rampage'' series. The game was developed as an arcade game for Midway Games by Game Refuge Inc. designers Brian Colin and Jeff Nauman, who conceived and desi ...
'', ''
Rampart Rampart may refer to: * Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement Rampart may also refer to: * "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...
'', and ''
Championship Sprint In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
''. The games were available from the
PlayStation Store The PlayStation Store (PS Store) is a digital media store available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The store offers a range of downloadable content ...
. The announcement came shortly after SOE released its second PlayStation 3 digital download ''
GripShift ''GripShift'' is a video game developed by Sidhe and co-published by Red Mile Entertainment, Sony Online Entertainment and Ubisoft for the PlayStation Portable handheld in 2005. The game was later released to download on PlayStation 3 via the ...
''. On May 15, 2007, Sony Online Entertainment announced that they had completed a transaction to purchase key assets from Sigil Games Online, including ''Vanguard: Saga of Heroes'' (described as Sigil's "tentpole property"). On March 13, 2008, Sony Online Entertainment announced that
Sony Computer Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
will have direct control over SOE. On January 16, 2009, the company joined
Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
, selling ''EverQuest'', ''EverQuest II'' and ''Vanguard: Saga of Heroes'' via Steam. On the same day, the company purchased Pox Nora, an online turn-based strategy game. On August 1, 2009, SOE shut down ''
The Matrix Online ''The Matrix Online'' (abbreviated as ''MxO'') was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) initially developed by Monolith Productions and later, a few months after launch, by Sony Online Entertainment. It was advertised as a ...
'' after 4 years of operation. Players were treated to about 2 months of gaming despite some initial setbacks that left many veteran players unable to access the game for about a week after the announcement was made. A memory book was developed and was made available for download on the game's site. , John Smedley was the CEO of Sony Online Entertainment. SOE is headquartered in
San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
,
California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, with additional game development studios located in Austin, Texas, Denver, Colorado and Seattle, Washington. On July 15, 2010, SOE eliminated 35 full-time positions and an undisclosed number of temporary positions to "...better align the company's resources..." On August 8, 2010, SOE announced that ''EverQuest Next'' was in the early stages of development. On January 7, 2011, SOE and
Fastpoint Games Fastpoint Games was a developer of data-driven games for businesses in the fortune 500, and was the parent company of fantasy sports developer, RotoHog. Under the Fastpoint Games banner, the company had applied RotoHog's configurable game plat ...
announced the alpha launch of the
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
game ''Fortune League''. ''Fortune League'' integrates real-time performance data such as damages, deaths and healings directly from the massively multiplayer online game environment and uses them to form "Hero Stats" that drive the game. Therefore, player actions inside ''EverQuest II'' affected what happened in Fortune League, and prizes from Fortune League helped users advance in the ''EverQuest II'' environment. Fastpoint Games CEO,
Kelly Perdew Kelly Crawford Perdew (born January 29, 1967) is an American businessman and winner of '' The Apprentice 2''. Before ''The Apprentice'' Perdew was born in Lexington, Kentucky and was raised in Florida and Wyoming. Prior to winning the show, he w ...
, positioned Fortune League as a new category of "snackable" data-driven games that would help MMO franchises acquire users and tap new revenue streams. On February 1, 2011, SOE unveiled new PlayStation Network games to be released throughout the year. These included ''Acceleration of Suguri X Edition'', ''Akimi Village'', ''Plants vs. Zombies'', ''Rochard'', ''Sideway'' and ''Slam Bolt Scrappers''. On March 31, 2011, SOE confirmed that "it will eliminate 205 positions and close its Denver, Seattle, and Tucson studios." Production of ''The Agency'' was also discontinued. On December 6, 2011, ''EverQuest II'' switched to a
free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
model, with optional subscriptions. On December 15, 2011, ''Star Wars Galaxies'' was closed. SOE maintained a Memory Book for former players.


Data breach

On April 27, 2011, Sony, the parent company of SOE, released statements regarding an intrusion, on or about April 18, into the PlayStation Network, and the potential theft of up to 77 million subscribers' personal data. Sony maintains that PSN and SOE are hosted and run on completely separate subsystems and that the PlayStation Network intrusion had no major effect on SOE's online services. SOE developers posted messages of concern and apology, but also assurances the SOE servers and systems were not compromised. On May 2, 2011, SOE interrupted their online services. Players were told "We have had to take the SOE service down temporarily. In the course of our investigation into the intrusion into our systems, we have discovered an issue that warrants enough concern for us to take the service down effective immediately. We will provide an update later today (Monday)." Later, SOE disclosed that "personal information from approximately 24.6 million SOE accounts may have been stolen", including names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, gender, date of birth, login ID, and hashed passwords.


Daybreak Game Company (2015–present)

On February 2, 2015, Sony announced that SOE had been sold to investment company Columbus Nova for an undisclosed amount and that it would be renamed Daybreak Game Company. Cutting its ties with Sony, Daybreak subsequently became able to develop their games for platforms other than
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a divisi ...
, including
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
and mobile platforms. On February 11, employees of the company reported they were undergoing layoffs, including several senior developers and project managers. Shortly after, Daybreak responded by announcing the layoffs were intended to make the company profitable, but did not detail the extent of the layoffs or whether it would affect the development and support of their new and existing games. On July 22, 2015, Daybreak announced that John Smedley had stepped down as the company's President, and that Russell Shanks, the company's former COO, will take up his position. On August 21, 2015, Smedley left Daybreak to found a new company. In October 2016, Russell Shanks left Daybreak. On December 19, 2016, it was announced that Daybreak games would become the new publisher of ''
The Lord of the Rings Online ''The Lord of the Rings Online'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows and OS X set in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, taking place during the time period of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Originally d ...
'' and ''
Dungeons & Dragons Online ''Dungeons & Dragons Online'' is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Turbine for Microsoft Windows and OS X. The game was originally marketed as ''Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach''. Upon switching to a h ...
'', taking over the role from
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment (WBIE; also known as Warner Bros. Games or WB Games) is an American video game publisher based in Burbank, California, and part of the newly-formed Global Streaming and Interactive Entertainment unit of ...
. However, the two games would maintain their old account system and server centers, not integrating with the rest of Daybreak. The result of this deal would cause the closure of ''
Asheron's Call ''Asheron's Call'' (AC) was a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Microsoft Windows PCs, developed and published by Turbine Entertainment Software. Though it was developed by the Turbine team (with Microsoft's ex ...
'' and '' Asheron's Call 2: Fallen Kings'' on January 31, 2017. In April 2018,
Viktor Vekselberg Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg (russian: Виктор Феликсович Вексельберг, uk, Віктор Феліксович Вексельберг; born April 14, 1957) is a Ukrainian-born Russian–Israeli-Cyprus oligarch, billion ...
, a Russian businessman and owner of portfolio company Renova Group, was sanctioned by the
United States Department of the Treasury The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and t ...
as part of an investigation on
Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections The Russian government interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election with the goals of harming the campaign of Hillary Clinton, boosting the candidacy of Donald Trump, and increasing political and social discord in the United States. Acc ...
. Columbus Nova had previously identified itself as an affiliate of Renova Group, while Renova Group had listed Columbus Nova as part of its corporate structure. Subsequently, it was believed that Columbus Nova, and consequently Daybreak, had also been affected by these sanctions. Daybreak subsequently began to deny that it had been sold to Columbus Nova, stating that the company had actually been acquired by Jason Epstein through his company Inception Acquisitions, LLC instead. At the time of the acquisition, Epstein had been a partner to Columbus Nova, though he left that company in 2017. A Daybreak spokesperson claimed that Epstein's exact ties to Columbus Nova had caused confusion in media reporting of the sale, even though its deleted press release made the same claim. Columbus Nova also stated that it had never been owned by Renova Group, though Renova Group had been their largest client. In September 2018, holding company
NantWorks NantWorks LLC founded in 2007 is an American multinational conglomerate holding company. It owns a number of technology companies in the fields of healthcare, commerce, digital entertainment as well as a venture capital firm in the healthcare, ed ...
announced its strategic investment in Daybreak, and the resulting new venture in which the company will bring popular Daybreak games (including ''
EverQuest ''EverQuest'' is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) originally developed by Verant Interactive and 989 Studios for Windows PCs. It was released by Sony Online Entertainment in March 1999 in North Americ ...
'' and ''
H1Z1 ''Z1 Battle Royale'' (formerly ''H1Z1'' and ''King of the Kill'') is a battle royale game developed and published by Daybreak Game Company. The game's development began after the original ''H1Z1'' was spun off into two separate projects in early ...
'') to mobile platforms. Three rounds of layoffs occurred between April 2018 and October 2019; the December rounds was estimated to have affected around 70 people. These layoffs were towards "a realignment of the company into separate franchise teams, which will allow us to highlight their expertise, better showcase the games they work on, and ultimately provide tailored experiences for our players." Following from the October 2019 round of layoffs, Daybreak announced in January 2020 that it would reorganize its internal structure to form three divisions: Dimensional Ink Games, Darkpaw Games, and Rogue Planet Games. Dimensional Ink became responsible for ongoing maintenance of ''
DC Universe Online ''DC Universe Online'' (''DCUO'') is a free-to-play action combat massively multiplayer online game set in the fictional universe of DC Comics. Developed by Dimensional Ink Games and co-published by Daybreak Game Company and WB Games, the game w ...
'' while working on a new MMO, Darkpaw to focus on the ''EverQuest'' franchise, and Rogue Planet to focus on ''
PlanetSide 2 ''PlanetSide 2'' is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter developed by Rogue Planet Games and published by Daybreak Game Company. The game supports battles with thousands of players (up to 2,000 on a single map) and inc ...
''. In August 2020, Daybreak acquired Cold Iron Studios which is developing a PC and console game set in the ''
Alien Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrater ...
'' universe. In December 1, 2020, it was reported that Daybreak Game Company would be acquired by
Enad Global 7 Enad Global 7 AB (also known as EG7) is a Swedish video game holding company based in Stockholm. It was founded as Toadman Interactive in 2013 by Robin Flodin and Rasmus Davidsson as a work-for-hire consultancy studio. The company began fully ...
for $300 million. The transaction was completed on December 22. In December 2021, it was reported that Daybreak Game Company would be taking over development of Magic: The Gathering Online in 2022. The transition to Daybreak Games servers was completed on October 18, 2022.


Station.com

Sony Online Entertainment's Station.com was a portal to its PC, console, casual and mobile games. Players could access and download games such as ''EverQuest'', ''EverQuest II'' and ''PlanetSide''. Station.com also provided sneak previews to new games for Sony PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, including ''Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom''. November 2006. In August 2006, Station.com added several games by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment.


ForgeLight engine

The ForgeLight engine is a
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
developed by the company, and used for ''
Free Realms ''Free Realms'' was a massively multiplayer online game, massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing video game, role playing video game developed by Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) for Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, Mac and PlayStation 3 tha ...
'', ''
Clone Wars Adventures ''Clone Wars Adventures'' was an online virtual world based on the animated television series '' Star Wars: The Clone Wars''. Players could create and customize in-world avatars and participate in a variety of Clone Wars-themed mini-games and a ...
'', ''
PlanetSide 2 ''PlanetSide 2'' is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online first-person shooter developed by Rogue Planet Games and published by Daybreak Game Company. The game supports battles with thousands of players (up to 2,000 on a single map) and inc ...
'', ''
Landmark A landmark is a recognizable natural or artificial feature used for navigation, a feature that stands out from its near environment and is often visible from long distances. In modern use, the term can also be applied to smaller structures or f ...
'', ''
EverQuest Next ''EverQuest Next'' was a planned massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), meant to be the successor to ''EverQuest'', '' EverQuest Online Adventures'' and ''EverQuest II''. The game was in development by the Daybreak Game Company, ...
'', ''
Just Survive ''Just Survive'' was a Survival game, survival massively multiplayer online game developed and published by Daybreak Game Company for Microsoft Windows. The game, originally known as ''H1Z1'' and later as ''H1Z1: Just Survive'', is set during a zo ...
'', and ''
H1Z1 ''Z1 Battle Royale'' (formerly ''H1Z1'' and ''King of the Kill'') is a battle royale game developed and published by Daybreak Game Company. The game's development began after the original ''H1Z1'' was spun off into two separate projects in early ...
''. The engine is able to support up to 2,000 players on a single
game server A game server (also sometimes referred to as a host) is a server (computing), server which is the authoritative source of events in a multiplayer video game. The server transmits enough data about its internal state to allow its connected Client ...
and allows over 200 players to be rendered by a game client at once.


Games


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* {{Authority control 1997 establishments in California American companies established in 1997 Video game companies established in 1997 Companies based in San Diego EverQuest Video game companies of the United States Video game development companies PlayStation Studios 2005 mergers and acquisitions 2015 mergers and acquisitions 2020 mergers and acquisitions American subsidiaries of foreign companies