Skip to main content

As Darksiders studio Vigil Games says goodbye, a hope for its signature series

THQ met its end on Wednesday, and while the process of drawing and quartering the video game publisher isn’t complete yet, the majority of its most valuable games have been snatched up by its former competitors. Sega is now the proud owner of Company of Heroes maker Relic and Ubisoft has brought THQ Montreal, a studio populated by former Assassin’s Creed staffers, back in the fold. Not all of THQ’s studios found a new home, though. Vigil Games, maker of the Darksiders series, will be dissolved in the aftermath of THQ’s bankruptcy. What’s more, Vigil was hard at work on a brand new game series. That game won’t survive it seems, but at least one developer wants to keep the Darksiders series alive.

“I failed to find a Vigil a home,” said THQ president Jason Rubin on Thursday, “Having just finished a product, Vigil was farthest from release of their next game, and we were not able to garner any interest from buyers, despite a herculean effort. Additionally, they were working on a new IP, which meant even more risk for a buyer.”

That game, codenamed Crawler, was reportedly going to be a significant step forward for the studio after Darksiders II failed to connect with gamers. “When the times got together recently to show each other their titles, Crawler dropped the most jaws. It’s a fantastic idea and truly unique,” said Rubin.

Vigil’s lead combat designer Ben Crueton took to forum NeoGAF to post his thoughts on the studio’s closure. “Crawler was going to blow people away. In fact it DID blow people away. We did, in TWO months, what many companies haven’t done in a year. The pride of knowing that no one was doing anything like us was so satisfying, it kept us coming to work giving 100 percent every single day, even through the dark times.”

The studio was definitely a hard sell in the beleaguered video game publishing industry. With retail sales on the decline and a console transition on the horizon with Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4, Vigil had years of development ahead of them before Crawler could be released. The studio has a strong critical track record, with both Darksiders games getting generally good reviews, but neither game was a sales blockbuster. Saints Row, Company of Heroes, and even Homefront, the properties purchased by other publishers, are all good bets for their respective buyers at Kock Media, Sega, and Crytek. Vigil was, unfortunately, a very expensive risk.

For fans of the Darksiders series, not all hope is lost. Platinum Games Atsushi Inaba, producer of the upcoming Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, said on Twitter that he’s interested in buying up the franchise if THQ is willing to part with it for cheap. With its hulking leads War and Death and its ridiculous fantasy storyline, Darksiders seems like a perfect fit for the company that created Bayonetta and Anarchy Reigns.

Editors' Recommendations

The best Xbox Series X games for 2023
Two Spartans side by side in Halo Infinite.

After an uneven console cycle with the Xbox One, Microsoft's latest consoles are aimed at getting the ship back on course. The Xbox Series X is a next-generation powerhouse that rivals gaming PCs, while the Xbox Series S is an affordable stopgap for those who are curious about trying new games.

There's no shortage of games to play on either console thanks to Xbox Game Pass, which gives players immediate access to a library of titles old and new. That built-in catalog is an extra value on top of all the new games available on the system that take advantage of its impressive technical specs. When it comes to first-party exclusives, the Series X is still growing. Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 gave a good boost to the console's library following a somewhat sparse first year. More games are also on the way. Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition will bring exclusives like Starfield and Redfall, and the potential addition of all Activision Blizzard games would further bolster that list, but the console's real strength lies in third-party support.

Read more
The best Nintendo Switch games for 2023
Samus stares down Thardus in Metroid Prime Remastered.

The Nintendo Switch has had a lot of success in the nearly six years since its release. The console-handheld hybrid has been on the market since 2017, and a slew of fantastic games from first- and third-party developers launched over the course of the system's life cycle. Recently, heavy hitters such as Metroid Dread, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, and Kirby and the Forgotten Land have boosted the system's appeal, while a healthy list of upcoming games continues to drum up excitement.

There are plenty of incredible games to enjoy on the Switch right now. But which ones should you check out? These are the best Nintendo Switch games (including free-to-play titles) for 2023.
Action

Read more
The best PS5 games for 2023
Leon parries a chainsaw villager in Resident Evil 4.

The PlayStation 4's success was largely due to its stellar game library, which featured some of the best titles of the past generation. Now, the PlayStation 5 is looking to repeat that success, though it's going to have to overcome some initial bumps in the road to reach that point.

Sony suffered some road bumps bringing major titles to market over the course of 2022 but new hit games are finally punching through. God of War Ragnarok, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, and Overwatch 2 are the most recent top titles to hit PS5, but there are plenty of other killer games for every kind of gamer out on the platform. As always, there's a running list of great upcoming PS5 games. Currently, there's no shortage of incredible experiences to be had right now on PS5.

Read more