Square Enix has announced today that it has reached an agreement with UK-based studio Bulkhead Interactive to publish the developer’s World War II multiplayer shooter Battalion 1944. The game will launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with a release lined up for summer.
Battalion 1944 was successfully funded on Kickstarter a year ago this month, raising more than $450,000 from 10,000 backers. This amount ended up being more than the studio’s target goal of $142,000, and the extra funding allows the studio to make a game that will “challenge the biggest AAA shooters in the industry,” according to Bulkhead.
Battalion 1944 will be published through Square Enix Collective division that works with independent studios to help them with things like marketing and testing. A foundational pillar of the Square Enix Collective is that the studios retain creative control and brand rights.
In a statement, Bulkhead senior producer Joe Brammer said the studio received “some strong offers from other very big publishers” for Battalion 1944. He said Bulkhead’s existing relationship with Square Enix was a major factor in deciding to partner with them again for the World War II shooter.
The aim of Battalion 1944 is to capture the “core of classic multiplayer shooters” while using the “most advanced industry technology.”