En Masse Entertainment
| File:Krafton En Masse.svg | |
| Formerly | Bluehole Interactive, Inc. (2008–2010) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | June 2008 |
| Defunct | August 17, 2020 |
| Headquarters | , US |
Area served | North America |
Key people | |
| Products | |
| Parent |
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| Website | enmasse |
En Masse Entertainment, Inc.—initially known as Bluehole Interactive, Inc.—was a video game publishing company based in Seattle, Washington, established in June 2008. The firm gained recognition primarily for distributing the MMORPG TERA, developed by its parent company Bluehole. The founding team brought with them significant expertise from prominent industry leaders such as Blizzard Entertainment, Microsoft, NCsoft, and Electronic Arts. In January 2013, leadership was bolstered with the appointments of Chris Lee as CEO and Soo Min Park as COO, adding seasoned executives to the management roster. On November 5, 2018, Bluehole and its subsidiaries, including En Masse, were unified under the umbrella of the newly formed parent entity Krafton Game Union. En Masse officially discontinued its operations on August 17, 2020, concluding its business presence.
TERA
Originally debuting in Korea in January 2011, TERA was localized and adapted by En Masse Entertainment for North American audiences, launching there on May 1, 2012.
By February 2013, within its first year post-launch in North America, En Masse shifted TERA to a free-to-play structure concurrent with the release of the TERA: Rising update. Subscribers who had paid were transitioned into Elite Status members with additional benefits, while all players retained full access to the game’s content.
The initial significant expansion titled TERA: Fate of Arun, released on December 16, 2014, introduced four new regions, a new city, increased the maximum level from 60 to 65, and added fresh quests and dungeons—all provided at no cost to users.
On May 5, 2015, En Masse brought TERA: Fate of Arun to Steam alongside the introduction of a new playable class—the gunner. This expansion propelled TERA to become the leading free-to-play MMORPG on Steam by concurrent player count.
CLOSERS
Closers is an episodic anime-inspired action RPG featuring a multi-season narrative set in New Seoul with combat reminiscent of beat-’em-up arcade games. En Masse Entertainment managed its publication in North America and Europe, officially releasing it on February 6, 2018.
ZMR
Building upon the success of TERA, En Masse broadened its portfolio through a 2013 agreement with Yingpei Games to publish the North American version of the Chinese third-person shooter Mercenary Ops, rebranded as ZMR (Zombies Monsters Robots). This squad-based free-to-play title launched in North America in September 2014. In September 2017, En Masse declared plans to terminate ZMR, providing active players with complimentary in-game rewards and compensation prior to shutting down services on October 31, 2017.
Fruit Attacks
In 2015, En Masse expanded its offerings into the mobile gaming sector with two titles. The first, Fruit Attacks, was launched on July 30, 2015, for both Android and iOS platforms. This arcade-style puzzle game challenges players to protect Earth from an invasion of fruit-themed alien creatures.
Pocket Platoons
Shortly thereafter, on August 27, 2015, En Masse introduced Pocket Platoons, a combat strategy game set during World War II’s Normandy campaign. Designed for iOS and Android devices, this base-building title was later withdrawn from app stores in February 2017.
Alliance of Valiant Arms
In July 2016, En Masse Entertainment secured the rights to operate Alliance of Valiant Arms, previously overseen by Aeria Games. The closed beta phase spanned from August 18, 2016, to August 23, 2018, followed by an open beta on August 25 and an official relaunch on September 22. This free-to-play first-person shooter, developed by Red Duck and initially launched in Korea in 2007, is set in an alternate future where geopolitical tensions exist between the Neo-Russian Federation and the European Union.
Kritika Online
Further broadening its catalog, En Masse released a closed beta for the South Korean action MMORPG Kritika Online in May 2017, targeting enthusiasts within the expanding MMORPG market.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
In June 2019, En Masse assumed publishing duties for The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics, a strategy RPG available across multiple platforms and inspired by the Netflix series. Scheduled for release on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC/Mac, this title reflects En Masse’s deliberate move into games based on licensed intellectual properties.
Stranger Things 3: The Game
Debuting on July 4, 2019, this companion video game to the Netflix series was developed by Netflix and BonusXP and published by En Masse Entertainment. The release reinforced the company’s strategy of capitalizing on popular media franchises to enhance its market footprint.