Smilegate Advances to Western Market with New Independent AAA Game Dev… 2021-07-29

■ Smilegate invests in That's No Moon Entertainment, a new groundbreaking AAA game development studio in North America

■ To make narrative-driven and innovative game 



[2021-0728] Smilegate announced on July 28th that it has made a strategic investment in 'That`s No Moon Entertainment’, a new independent studio led by award-winning, top-selling developers known by fans through their work at PlayStation and on renowned games like The Last of Us, Call of Duty, God of War, Fortnite, Destiny, and others. 

Smilegate is the creator of the blockbuster franchises ”CROSSFIRE”, “Lost Ark”, and “Epic Seven”, that are hugely beloved in the global market. “CROSSFIRE”, launched in 2007, is a first-person shooting game and is currently played in more than 80 countries worldwide by approximately 1 billion gamers. Smilegate’s flagship MMORPG “Lost Ark” will be launched in North America and Europe within 2021 with Amazon Games as the publisher. Smilegate is steadily solidifying its position as a 'Global IP powerhouse'. 

That’s No Moon is a groundbreaking new AAA game development studio founded in 2021 focused on industry defining narrative-driven entertainment that will push the limits of both gameplay and story. Based in the epicenters of AAA gaming and film, Los Angeles and San Diego, That’s No Moon supports a culture of excellence, diversity, respect and innovation. That’s No Moon reunites prolific, award-winning leaders Michael Mumbauer, Taylor Kurosaki, Jacob Minkoff, Barry Genova, Tina Kowalewski and Nick Kononelos - key developers of blockbuster franchises “Uncharted”, “The Last of Us”, “Destiny” and “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” - ushering in a brand new era of Next Generation Cinematic Adventures and creating bold new experiences for gamers worldwide. 

Smilegate and That’s No Moon are developing a new AAA narrative-driven game in the action-adventure genre. This new game will impress game fans with a totally new and innovative single-player experience for consoles and PC. To this end, That’s No Moon is expanding the staff of its current studio and is in pre-production on its debut project. 

Harold Kim, VP of business development at Smilegate said, “That’s No Moon is a studio with exceptionally talented developers. I believe Smilegate’s investment will blossom a groundbreaking title that will be something that no one has ever experienced before, capturing the game fans of both East and West.” 

Michael Mumbauer, CEO of That’s No Moon said, “We are so proud and honored to be partnering with Smilegate on our first title, a story-driven game that will bring key innovation to the genre. We have a shared vision of creating world-class games that feature captivating stories and characters that resonate with players around the world.” 

Besides the invest in That’s No Moon, Smilegate recently announced that “Lost Ark” will enter the North American and European markets with Amazon Games. Smilegate is also preparing to release “CrossfireX”, a console version of CROSSFIRE, and is actively targeting the Western market. 

More information about Smilegate can be found on Smilegate website (https://global.smilegate.com), and That’s No Moon’s website (http://www.thatsnomoon.com).