According to a report first published on TechCrunch and subsequently confirmed by Amazon, Killer Instinct developer Double Helix has been purchased by the online retailer. The terms of the deal give Amazon all intellectual property and talent of the studio.
Double Helix most recently released the Xbox One exclusive launch title Killer Instinct, the future of which was unclear at the time of acquisition. However, Polygon received a statement from Microsoft about the state of Killer Instinct and what will happen to it in the months to come:
We want all of our loyal fans to know that the Killer Instinct team at Microsoft is not changing and that the franchise will remain with Microsoft Studios. We remain dedicated to delivering a great experience and plan to announce our new development partner soon. We’re excited about the future of this popular franchise.
Killer Instinct fans can rest assured, then, that DLC and updates will continue to be released for the fighting game.
The motivation for Amazon’s purchase of Double Helix is still unknown, however, as the retailer has a very limited history in game development. The company only provided a short statement, saying that “Amazon has acquired Double Helix as part of our ongoing commitment to build innovative games for customers.”
Currently, Double Helix is working on an HD reboot of the classic game, Strider. The game is set to be released digitally on February 19, for the PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC. This release date has not been affected by the acquisition.