Publisher InnoGames and development dtudio Ticking Bomb Games announced the discontinuation of the pirate-MMO Kartuga.

Simultaneously the companies’ partnership was disbanded. Regardless of its potential for success, InnoGames’ growing focus on cross-platform-games played a major role in the decision, along with the fact that Kartuga was unable to fulfill high expectations during its recent closed beta. The development studio Ticking Bomb Games will be closed and all employees are offered a shortened application process at InnoGames.

Hendrik Klindworth, CEO of InnoGames states about the decision: “It wasn’t an easy step for us. During the recent months, Ticking Bomb Games and InnoGames have worked hard on the game. Together with Ticking Bomb Games we have come to an agreement: the priority was to have an organized schedule for the studio’s closure, to keep the employees’ needs in mind, and offer as many of them a position at InnoGames as possible – all those things we’ve managed together.”

“Kartuga had a lot of potential, the exciting setting and high-quality graphics stood out especially, but the closed beta and player feedback showed that it wouldn’t fit the companies’ goals for the future. Now InnoGames can focus even more on cross-platform projects currently in development in-house,” Klindworth continued. Two new titles will be announced later this year.

Klindworth reasoned: “Thanks to the partnership with Ticking Bomb Games, we’ve learned a lot we can apply to future projects. It also strengthened our dedication towards cross-platform-titles, which are playable on a number of internet-based devices, as the future of InnoGames.”