Facebook’s games division is continuing with its recent expansion—and it just picked up a very big developer.
The company announced in a blog post today that it has acquired Beat Games, the development team behind the highly popular music/rhythm VR game Beat Saber. The team will remain based in Prague, but will now be under the Oculus Studios umbrella, reporting to Mike Verdu, director of AR/VR content at Facebook.
“Facebook and the Beat Games team know that there is so much more that can be done across VR, games, and music,” Verdu said. “They have only scratched the surface with Beat Saber in terms of social features, new modes, music, and more.”
For those concerned about whether Beat Saber will become an exclusive to Occulus, which is owned by Facebook, don’t be. Beat Games will continue to run as an independent studio, and will “work on Beat Saber across all currently supported platforms,” according to the post. While Verdu does make a point to note that these updates will come “with even more support from Facebook,” he doesn’t go into more detail about that just yet.
Verdu’s post also includes a mini Q&A, detailing the possible future for VR-related acquisitions by Facebook. “We’re exploring many ways to accelerate VR, and we think next year is going to be an incredible one of VR game launches and announcements,” he said. “We are thrilled to have Beat Games join our team. This is just the beginning.”
The post also addresses the age-old tale of a giant corporation swallowing a much-loved indie studio whole. “I’ve been in the industry for a while and have seen that firsthand,” Verdu said. “However, I’ve also seen and been a part of some incredible success stories. The story we aim to prove over time is this: An indie studio joins forces with some like-minded allies, and together they find a way to push VR to new heights.”
Based on the comments section of the post, though, some fans are skeptical. “And with this, [Beat Saber] goes off my wishlist,” writes one. For another, one letter is enough: “F.”
The Beat Saber devs have been busy providing a number of updates since the game released. The next big one, 360° Levels mode, is set to arrive next month. The video below provides a glimpse of how this will work, forcing players to turn in all directions to slice blocks with their weapons. To Imagine Dragons’ “Believer,” no less.
