Warner acquires Batman studio Rocksteady

Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment (WBIE) has confirmed its acquisition of a majority stake in Batman: Arkham Asylum developer Rocksteady studios.

Founded in 2004, UK developer Rocksteady shot to fame last year with its acclaimed reboot of the Batman gaming franchise, which went on to sell over 3 million units worldwide.

After recently securing publishing rights to the game's sequel from Square Enix/Eidos, WBIE has now moved to take a controlling stake in the studio.

"With the successful release of Batman: Arkham Asylum, a franchise that is a key focus for Warner Bros., Rocksteady has proven that they have the expertise to create hit games with mass appeal," said WBIE president Martin Tremblay.

"We are currently working with Rocksteady on the sequel to Batman: Arkham Asylum and look forward to bringing the continuation of the franchise to fans worldwide."

Welcoming the deal, Rocksteady studio games director Jamie Walker said: "We are proud to strengthen our association with WBIE, a world class publisher that we have enjoyed working with since we began developing Batman: Arkham Asylum.

"The Rocksteady team is very much looking forward to creating more great games based on widely recognised Warner Bros. brands like Batman."

As Warner Bros owns Batman publisher DC Comics, the Rocksteady acquisition falls in line with its strategy of enhancing its "widely recognised" brands. WBIE also recently invested heavily in the Mortal Kombat and Lord of the Rings gaming franchises.