The Reason Behind Amplitude Studios' Departure from Sega

Amplitude Studios, based in Paris, made a name for itself in 2012 with the release of Endless Space, a 4X turn-based strategy game. This was followed by several sequels and spin-offs, including Endless Legend and Dungeon of the Endless in 2014, and Endless Space 2 in 2017. In 2016, Sega acquired Amplitude, providing the studio with more resources to create games comparable to those developed by Wargaming, Paradox, and 2K, as stated by co-founder Romain de Waubert de Genlis at the time. The acquisition led to the release of Humankind in 2021, an ambitious 4X title. However, in 2024, Amplitude parted ways with Sega, just months after the Japanese publisher sold Relic Entertainment, another PC-focused studio. In an interview, de Genlis reflected on the past decade, discussing the journey of Amplitude, the challenges of innovating within an established genre, and the decision to leave Sega. De Genlis expressed that Amplitude's goal was to bring more art, storytelling, music, and focus on interface to 4X games, making them more appealing to a wider audience. The studio's success can be seen in the fact that their 4X games now reach over 2 to 3 million people, whereas initially, they aimed to sell to 40,000 to 60,000 people. De Genlis also talked about the development of Humankind, which introduced innovations such as a new approach to cultures, terrain, and combat. Although the game did not meet all expectations, it was still a commercial success and became Amplitude's most successful game financially and in terms of player numbers. The decision to leave Sega was initiated by de Genlis, who saw that the studio's focus on PC games and lack of core Japanese IPs made it difficult to align with Sega's strategies. De Genlis believed that going independent would allow Amplitude to make games more quickly, without compromising quality, by optimizing work habits and decision-making processes. As an independent studio, Amplitude aims to create amazing games with smaller budgets, focusing on its strengths and expertise in the 4X genre.