Double Fine has confirmed that it owns, or will soon own, the intellectual property and publishing rights to all games developed during its seven-year tenure under Xbox. This comes after the studio's separation from Microsoft earlier this year.
CEO Tim Schafer shared this update, clarifying that the transfer of IP and publishing rights back to the studio means it will benefit from sales of its back catalog, including titles like Psychonauts 2, Headlander, and Rad. "The transfer of the IP came back to us, and we get the publishing rights back to all our games," Schafer stated. While some titles may still be in the process of transfer with Xbox, Schafer emphasized that purchasing any of Double Fine's games directly supports the studio's continued operations.
This confirmation follows a broader restructuring within Xbox announced in July, which led to several studios, including Double Fine and Compulsion Games, regaining their independence while retaining ownership of their intellectual property. Double Fine had previously announced layoffs affecting approximately a quarter of its staff as part of this transition to a more sustainable size.
Looking ahead, Double Fine plans to revive its Amnesia Fortnight game jam through a Kickstarter campaign. This initiative will allow backers to vote on which prototype will become the studio's next full project, with the jam scheduled to run from August 31st through most of September.