Gray Matter Studios
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Predecessor | Xatrix Entertainment, Inc. |
| Founded | March 1993 |
| Founder | Drew Markham, Barry Dempsey |
| Fate | Merged into Treyarch in 2005 |
| Successor | Treyarch |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Drew Markham (creative director) |
| Products | Cyberia, Quake II Mission Pack: The Reckoning, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, Call of Duty: United Offensive |
| Owner | Activision (100% from January 2002) |
| Parent | Activision (from 2002) |
Gray Matter Interactive Studios, Inc.—initially known as Xatrix Entertainment, Inc.—was a video game development company headquartered in Los Angeles, United States.
History
Xatrix Entertainment was established in March 1993 by Drew Markham and Barry Dempsey. The company's debut title, Cyberia, launched in 1994. Subsequent projects featured the Quake II Mission Pack: The Reckoning, created in collaboration with publisher Activision. Around 1999, following the departure of some founding members, the studio rebranded as Gray Matter Studios on June 17, 1999, with Markham stepping into the role of creative director. Initially, Activision owned a 40% share of the company and purchased the remaining 60% in January 2002 after the commercial success of Return to Castle Wolfenstein, acquiring it for an estimated amount paid in stock.
Post-acquisition, Gray Matter contributed to the development of the Call of Duty: United Offensive expansion and worked on the ultimately canceled title Trinity: The Shatter Effect. In 2005, while engaged in creating Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Gray Matter merged into Activision's Treyarch, where they assisted with Call of Duty 3.
Under Xatrix Entertainment
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Cyberia |
| 1995 | Cyberia 2: Resurrection |
| 1997 | Redneck Rampage |
| 1998 | Redneck Rampage Rides Again |
| Redneck Deer Huntin' | |
| Quake II Mission Pack: The Reckoning | |
| 1999 | Kingpin: Life of Crime |
Under Gray Matter Studios
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Return to Castle Wolfenstein |
| 2004 | Call of Duty: United Offensive |
Projects canceled
- Trinity: The Shatter Effect