Metacore to the rescue: publisher acquires cancelled mobile games title Everdale

Mobile games enthusiasts playing the village building simulator Everdale were left devastated a few months back when developers Supercell, responsible for some mega mobile hits like Clash of Clans and Brawl Stars, announced Everdale's beta test server was going offline.

The Helsinki-based company's decision highlighted the thorny issue of modern games ownership and how fanbases are at risk of losing much-loved media. Since Everdale was closed down, for instance, Google has shuttered its pioneering cloud games platform, Stadia. While Stadia refunded every single purchase, the news still came as a disappointment to Stadia owners.

Now it seems there's been a reprieve for Everdale owners.  Supercell said the IP will transfer to fellow Helsinki publisher Metacore, which proposes to maintain Everdale's server aided by internal development staff. 

When Supercell decided to close Everdale, it cited lack of quality compared to its major mobile games hits, so the deal has forced a little backtracking.

Everdale promises to let gamers "lead villagers" in a "lush utopian community". Part of a calming gaming breed, the game's co-operative mechanic didn't fit so well with Supercell's existing portfolio, which mainly provides endorphin rush competitive gaming experiences.

With the sale, Supercell has demonstrated games IP has M&A value. It's a good addition to Metacore's portfolio also. The Helsinki-HQed publisher is dubbed the "game company were players are the closest thing to a boss."

Supercell said: "Even though Everdale didn't meet our expectations as a Supercell game, we still saw its potential (and appreciated a lot the heartwarming amount of reactions from the fans!) and came up with the idea of finding a new home for the game.

" This is something we’ve never done before here at Supercell, but hey – it’s not the first time Everdale has tried something new :) It was important to us to find a new home for the game in a company that has the talent, ambition, and game development philosophy that fits Everdale. We feel confident in transferring ownership of Everdale to the hands of Metacore’s highly talented team. 

"They will explore the game with fresh eyes and investigative minds to see what kind of building blocks the game consists of and what could or shouldn’t be changed for improvements so that the game would meet the players’ and Metacore’s expectations."