The gears of the gaming industry are greased with three things: hype, hope, and, more often than not, heartbreak (well, also money, so four). In a recent turn of events that has everyone from die-hard fans to casual gamers raising their eyebrows, Daybreak Game Company has reportedly sold the popular PlanetSide IP.
Yesterday, Enad Global 7 (EG7), Daybreak's parent company, casually dropped a major reveal in its Q4 2023 financial report, mentioning the sale of a "noncore IP" for a cool $5.9 million. In the grand scheme of corporate speak, "a nice boost to its liquidity" sounds about as exciting as watching paint dry.
However, for the eagle-eyed denizens of the PlanetSide 2 subreddit, this was a sign that something sinister was afoot. Surprisingly, though, their fears weren't entirely unfounded. A little sleuthing revealed references in the US Copyright Office database to PlanetSide's IP being transferred to Bay Tree Tower Limited.
"Who?" you might ask. Well, join the club, because nobody seems to know what this shell company is. Bay Tree Tower Limited sounds a lot like the kind of company you'd expect to be involved in real estate - or money laundering - not a sprawling MMO first-person shooter series.