The fate of Double Fine's long-fabled and recently-funded Psychonauts 2 just got a bit less murky. In a statement released early Monday morning, independent publisher Startbreeze AB revealed its plan to invest $8 million in Double Fine's efforts and bring the action platformer to PC, Xbox One, and PS4 on-schedule in 2018.
The agreement between Double Fine and Starbreeze positions the latter as the project's "major investor," with an intent to recoup 100% of its full investment in the game. This includes marketing costs, distribution fees, and a hefty 85% revenue-share arrangement. On Double Fine's end, they'll retain full control of their intellectual property, and once investment is recouped, score a higher percentage of the proceeds when the revenue-share dips down to 65%.
The involvement of Starbreeze, in tandem with the title's not-neglible $3 million-plus self-funding efforts, should come as relief for fans wondering if the game's Fig campaign would be enough to make it a satisfying and worthwhile 2018 reality. There's more Psychonauts to be had far sooner than that, though – Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin, a PS4 virtual-reality exclusive, is slated for release next month on February 21st.
