Nightdive Studios
| File:Nightdive Studios.svg | |
| Nightdive Studios | |
| Formerly | Night Dive Studios, LLC (2012–2019) |
| Company type | Subsidiary |
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | November 7, 2012 in Portland, Oregon, US |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | , US |
Key people |
|
Number of employees | 40 (2022) |
| Parent | Atari SA (2023–present) |
| Website | nightdivestudios.com |
Night Dive Studios, Inc. (operating as Nightdive Studios) is a United States-based video game developer located in Vancouver, Washington and functioning as a subsidiary under Atari SA. The firm focuses on securing rights to classic abandonware titles, modernizing them through its proprietary KEX Engine for compatibility with current platforms, and distributing these revitalized games digitally to support the preservation of video game history.
Established in November 2012 by Stephen and Alix Kick, who previously worked as artists at Sony Online Entertainment, the studio’s debut project involved the reissue of the 1999 title System Shock 2. After Stephen Kick successfully negotiated licensing agreements with Star Insurance Company—the entity that held rights following the closure of Looking Glass Studios—Nightdive relaunched System Shock 2 on GOG.com in February 2013. In May 2023, Atari SA completed its acquisition of Nightdive Studios.
Formation and System Shock 2 Revival (2012–2013)
Nightdive Studios was created by Stephen Kick and Alix Kick (née Banegas), both having backgrounds as character artists at Sony Online Entertainment (SOE). Prior to departing SOE in 2012, Stephen contributed to projects such as Free Realms and PlanetSide 2. While on an extended nine-month journey through Mexico and Central America with Alix Banegas, Kick attempted to play System Shock 2 but discovered no legitimate versions were available that ran on modern hardware.
Recognizing a demand—evidenced by over 34,000 users having wishlisted the game on GOG.com—Kick reached out to Star Insurance Company, which owned the System Shock intellectual property after acquiring it from the defunct Looking Glass Studios. He proposed digitally remastering and re-releasing the game. Following discussions and securing licensing funds through support from friends and family, Stephen and Alix established Night Dive Studios on November 7, 2012, appointing Stephen as CEO and Alix as COO.
The company leveraged an existing fan-created patch as a technical starting point and partnered with former colleagues from SOE alongside GOG.com to bring System Shock 2 up to date. The game’s re-release on GOG.com in February 2013 demonstrated commercial viability, validating their business approach centered on rejuvenating classic games. Nightdive’s initial employee hire was Daniel Grayshon, recognized for his expertise in System Shock modding communities.
Building on this momentum, Nightdive broadened its catalog by updating and reissuing other vintage titles including I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, the Wizardry VI, VII, and 8 installments, along with Trilobyte’s The 7th Guest and The 11th Hour. In May 2013, the company extended its reach by launching System Shock 2 on Steam, further enhancing its market footprint.
Later projects (2013–present)
In 2014, Night Dive Studios reissued 28 educational titles originally from Humongous Entertainment alongside the adventure game Bad Mojo. Rumors circulated about a potential comeback of The Operative: No One Lives Forever after Night Dive filed trademarks linked to the series. Founder Stephen Kick confirmed ongoing attempts to secure publishing rights and obtain the original source code for a remake, though discussions with rights holders Activision, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros. reached an impasse.
December 2014 saw Night Dive orchestrate the re-release of the 1996 FPS-RPG hybrid Strife as Strife: Veteran Edition. Due to the original source code being lost, the game was rebuilt using a modified version of the Chocolate Doom engine. The company hired original developers to implement updates, and subsequently published the source code under GPLv3 on GitHub. In a 2016 AMA, Kick highlighted Night Dive’s dedication to retrieving and preserving source materials. By early 2015, preparations were underway for digital re-releases of PowerSlave, including its Sega Saturn edition, while collaboration with original creators led to an enhanced version of Noctropolis featuring remastered soundtracks, widescreen compatibility, and bug fixes.
Using funds generated from earlier launches, Night Dive acquired the rights to the System Shock franchise in August 2015 with intentions to produce a remake. Later that year, an upgraded edition of the original game debuted, offering higher resolution and mouse support. The studio then secured comprehensive ownership of the series and explored developing a third installment alongside remakes of prior entries, working closely with original concept artist Robert Waters. Also in August 2015, Night Dive announced remastered editions of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter and Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, releasing the former in 2015 and the latter in 2017.
In December 2015, Night Dive licensed the System Shock intellectual property to OtherSide Entertainment, headed by former Looking Glass Studios creative director Paul Neurath, to develop System Shock 3. By May 2016, Night Dive Studios rebranded as Nightdive Studios to better represent its evolving corporate identity and leadership role in classic game restoration and remastering.
Acquisition by Atari (2023–present)
In March 2023, Atari SA disclosed an agreement to purchase Nightdive Studios for , with payment split evenly between cash and newly issued ordinary shares, plus a potential earnout spread over three years. Atari’s CEO and chairman, Wade Rosen, had previously acquired a 13% stake in Nightdive through his trust. The transaction was completed on May 15, 2023.
Following this acquisition, Nightdive launched a remastered version of Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion in November 2023. Since the original source code was unavailable, developers reverse engineered the Nintendo 64 version and refreshed textures accordingly. Although initially planned for release on November 14, it was postponed until November 30. Nevertheless, the game accidentally became available early in Europe and Australia on November 14 with notable bugs.
Operations
Nightdive Studios operates out of eastern Vancouver, Washington. As of February 2022, its workforce consisted of 40 employees including Larry Kuperman serving as director of business development. The majority of personnel work remotely from diverse locations such as San Francisco and New Zealand. This distributed arrangement facilitates near-continuous productivity through tools like GitHub, Jira, and Slack. While supporting worldwide operations effectively, this model reduces opportunities for in-person social interaction within the office environment.
Technology
While working on the revamped Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Nightdive Studios came across a reverse engineering initiative led by Sam "Kaiser" Villarreal. Subsequently, they brought him on board to create the proprietary KEX Engine. This engine serves to modernize classic games by integrating advanced features and forms the foundation for numerous Nightdive remasters, such as Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Forsaken Remastered, System Shock: Enhanced Edition, Blood: Fresh Supply, Doom 64, Quake, Shadow Man Remastered, PowerSlave Exhumed, Blade Runner: Enhanced Edition, Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition, Quake II, Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion Remastered, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, PO'ed: Definitive Edition, Doom + Doom II, Killing Time: Resurrected, The Thing: Remastered, and System Shock 2: Enhanced Edition. The forthcoming game, SiN Reloaded, is also planned to utilize this technology. As of 2022, Villarreal continues to serve as Nightdive's principal engine developer, underscoring the company’s commitment to technological innovation across its titles.
Original releases
| Year | Title | Developer(s) | Publisher(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Spirits of Xanadu | Good Morning, Commander | Nightdive Studios |
| 2016 | Womb Room | Bearded Eye | Nightdive Studios |
| 2023 | System Shock | Nightdive Studios | Prime Matter |
| 2024 | Doom II: Legacy of Rust | id Software, Nightdive Studios, MachineGames | Bethesda Softworks |
Remasters and enhanced ports
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- 2012 establishments in Washington (state)
- 2023 mergers and acquisitions
- American companies established in 2012
- American subsidiaries of foreign companies
- Atari
- Companies based in Vancouver, Washington
- Video game companies based in Washington (state)
- Video game companies established in 2012
- Video game development companies
- Video game publishers
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment
- 5