Ubisoft completes Anno dev acquisition

Ubisoft has completed its acquisition of Anno developer Related Designs. The Assassin's Creed publisher previously owned 29.95 percent of the company and has now executed a cash transaction to acquire the remaining 70.05 percent.

Terms of the deal were not specified.

Related Designs was established in Mainz, Germany, in 1995. The developer created the Anno real-time strategy series, as well as other RTS titles like No Man's Land and Castle Strike.

With Ubisoft now in control of the company, Related Designs' 65-person staff will continue its work on the browser-based free-to-play massively multiplayer online game Might & Magic Heroes Online. In addition, the studio will work with Ubisoft-owned Blue Byte on "future titles."

"We're happy to formally join Ubisoft," Related Designs managing director Thomas Pottkamper said in a statement. "This move validates our longstanding partnership and provides our teams with additional resources to expand upon their great work."