Asobo Studio
Asobo Studio is a Bordeaux-based French video-game developer known for A Plague Tale, Pixar adaptations, and Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Last updated August 25, 2026
AI crawler reads
2requests
1companies- Anthropic2
- Profile
- 2
- Controversies
- 0
- JSON · MD
- 0
- First read
- Nov 4, 2026
- Latest read
- Nov 4, 2026
From this site's server log
Overview
Asobo Studio SAS is a French video-game development company headquartered in Bordeaux. Founded in 2002 by twelve developers who acquired the rights to the multiplayer PlayStation 2 game Super Farm from their former employer, Kalisto Entertainment, the studio began as an independent team and released Super Farm in 2003 through Ignition Entertainment. Its name comes from the Japanese expression asobō, commonly translated as “let’s play.” During its early years, Asobo worked across several platforms and genres before establishing a significant relationship with film and entertainment publishers. A major turning point came when THQ selected the studio to develop a game based on Pixar’s Ratatouille. Asobo subsequently worked on adaptations of WALL-E and Up, and later contributed to Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure. These projects gave the company experience with family-oriented licensed properties, character-driven design, and console motion-control technology. The studio also developed original and non-film projects. Codemasters published Fuel, a large-scale racing game, in 2009 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and personal computers. Asobo later collaborated with Ubisoft on Monopoly Family Fun Pack and The Crew for Xbox 360, and with Microsoft on holographic titles for HoloLens, including Fragments and Young Conker. Its HoloLens work made it an early independent developer in Microsoft’s holographic-entertainment program. Asobo’s most prominent original franchise is A Plague Tale. A Plague Tale: Innocence, published by Focus Home Interactive in 2019, combines stealth, action, exploration, and narrative drama in a medieval setting. Its critical reception and industry recognition helped establish Asobo as a developer of substantial original productions rather than primarily licensed adaptations. The sequel, A Plague Tale: Requiem, was released in 2022, and the studio is developing Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, described as a prequel planned for 2026. The company is also strongly associated with Microsoft Flight Simulator. Asobo developed the 2020 edition for Microsoft, released on Windows on August 18, 2020, and continued its involvement in the series with the 2024 edition. The simulator expanded the studio’s profile internationally by combining real-world geographic data, cloud-based services, detailed aircraft systems, and a broad live-service update program. Microsoft Flight Simulator received the Pégase award for Best French Video Game in 2021, following A Plague Tale: Innocence’s corresponding recognition in 2020. Most of Asobo’s games use Zouna, an in-house engine whose foundations were developed in the 1990s by employees who had worked at Kalisto Entertainment and were subsequently expanded by Asobo. In 2021, investment firm Sagard NewGen acquired a stake of slightly more than 30 percent for €20 million, according to the cited reference material; the transaction reportedly valued Asobo at approximately €65 million. Asobo remains an independent French development studio working with major publishers and entertainment companies, with activities spanning original intellectual property, licensed adaptations, simulation, console games, personal-computer games, and emerging platforms.
History
Asobo Studio was established in Bordeaux in 2002 by twelve video-game developers who had previously worked at Kalisto Entertainment. The founders purchased the rights to the multiplayer PlayStation 2 game Super Farm and used it as the basis for the new studio’s first production. Ignition Entertainment published the game in 2003. In its early period, Asobo developed games for multiple platforms and gradually expanded its production capacity. Its work on Ratatouille marked an important commercial and creative transition. THQ selected the studio to adapt the Pixar film, after which Asobo was also involved with adaptations of WALL-E and Up. The licensed projects helped the company build experience in family entertainment, character-based game design, and collaboration with major international publishers. The studio’s growth included a reported recruitment pace of approximately 20 percent per year, eventually supporting separate production lines. Asobo broadened its portfolio with Fuel, a racing game published by Codemasters in 2009 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC. Between 2010 and 2012 it worked on Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure for Xbox 360 Kinect. The title used Kinect scanning to allow players to create Pixar-style avatars and included material from Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Cars, Up, and Toy Story. The studio continued forming partnerships across the industry. In 2014 it worked with Ubisoft on Monopoly Family Fun Pack for PlayStation and Xbox platforms and on The Crew for Xbox 360. In 2016, Microsoft selected Asobo to develop Fragments and Young Conker for HoloLens. These projects positioned the company as an early independent developer in Microsoft’s holographic-entertainment program. Asobo received the French Video Game Creator Prize in 2016. A major shift toward original intellectual property came with A Plague Tale: Innocence. Announced in 2017 and released in 2019 by Focus Home Interactive, the game presented a historically styled narrative adventure centered on stealth, survival, and family relationships. It won the Pégase for Best French Video Game in 2020. Its success led to A Plague Tale: Requiem, released on October 18, 2022, and to the announced prequel Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, planned for 2026. Asobo also became a leading developer of modern flight simulation. Microsoft Flight Simulator was released for Windows on August 18, 2020. The project required large-scale world representation, aircraft simulation, and ongoing technical support, substantially increasing the studio’s international visibility. The game won the Pégase for Best French Video Game in 2021, giving Asobo the award in consecutive years. The studio’s technology is based in significant part on Zouna, an engine whose origins trace back to the 1990s work of former Kalisto employees and which was subsequently developed further by Asobo. In 2021, Sagard NewGen acquired slightly more than 30 percent of the company for €20 million, with the cited reference reporting an approximate valuation of €65 million. Asobo remains a privately held, active Bordeaux studio whose work spans original games, simulation, licensed adaptations, and experimental platforms.
- 2022
A Plague Tale: Requiem released
[1]The sequel launched on October 18, expanding the studio’s original franchise.
- 2021
Sagard NewGen takes a minority stake
[1]Sagard NewGen acquired slightly more than 30 percent of Asobo for €20 million, according to the cited reference.
- 2020
Microsoft Flight Simulator released
[1]Microsoft released the Asobo-developed simulator for Windows on August 18.
- 2019
A Plague Tale: Innocence released
[1]The studio’s original narrative adventure was published by Focus Home Interactive.
- 2016
HoloLens development milestone
[1]Fragments and Young Conker launched for HoloLens Development Edition, and Asobo received a French video-game creator award.
- 2009
Fuel released
[1]Codemasters launched Asobo’s racing game for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC.
- 2003
Super Farm becomes the debut release
[1]Ignition Entertainment published the studio’s first game for PlayStation 2.
- 2002
Studio founded in Bordeaux
[1]Twelve former Kalisto developers founded Asobo Studio after acquiring the rights to Super Farm.
Products and positioning
An independent, technically ambitious French game developer combining original narrative properties, large-scale simulation, licensed entertainment adaptations, and experimental platform work.
Multiplayer console game · 2003
Super Farm
Asobo Studio’s debut release was a multiplayer PlayStation 2 game whose rights were acquired from Kalisto Entertainment by the studio’s founding developers. Ignition Entertainment published it in 2003.
Licensed film adaptation
Ratatouille
A video-game adaptation of Pixar’s Ratatouille developed after THQ selected Asobo for the project. It represented an early major licensed-production opportunity for the Bordeaux studio.
Licensed film adaptation
WALL-E
Asobo worked on a game adaptation of Pixar’s WALL-E as part of its expanding relationship with film and family-entertainment properties.
Licensed film adaptation
Up
The studio also developed a video-game adaptation of Pixar’s Up, continuing its early specialization in interactive versions of animated films.
Racing game · 2009
Fuel
Fuel is a large-scale racing game developed by Asobo and published by Codemasters. It was released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC in 2009.
Motion-control family game · 2012
Kinect Rush: A Disney-Pixar Adventure
Published by Microsoft and Disney Interactive Studios, Kinect Rush used Xbox 360 Kinect scanning to create Pixar-inspired player avatars and brought together characters from several Pixar films.
Board-game adaptation · 2014
Monopoly Family Fun Pack
A collection developed with Ubisoft for PlayStation and Xbox platforms, incorporating Monopoly Plus, My Monopoly, and Monopoly Deal.
Mixed-reality game · 2016
Fragments
One of Asobo’s HoloLens projects, Fragments was released for the Microsoft HoloLens Development Edition in 2016 and formed part of the studio’s early holographic-development work.
Mixed-reality game · 2016
Young Conker
Young Conker was developed for Microsoft HoloLens and released alongside Fragments for the Development Edition in 2016.
Narrative adventure game · 2019
A Plague Tale: Innocence
Published by Focus Home Interactive in 2019, this original stealth and adventure game established the A Plague Tale franchise and became one of Asobo’s defining original productions.
Flight simulation game · 2020
Microsoft Flight Simulator
Developed with Microsoft, the 2020 edition is a large-scale flight simulator built around detailed aircraft systems and a digitally represented global environment. Its international release significantly raised Asobo’s profile.
Narrative adventure game · 2022
A Plague Tale: Requiem
Released on October 18, 2022, Requiem is the sequel to A Plague Tale: Innocence and continues Asobo’s original narrative franchise.
Narrative adventure game · 2026
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
A prequel in the A Plague Tale universe, described in the cited reference as being developed by Asobo and planned for launch in 2026.
Brand decisions
2021
Minority investment by Sagard NewGenM&ABackground
Asobo had developed into an independent studio with internationally visible work on Microsoft Flight Simulator and the A Plague Tale franchise.
Action taken
Sagard NewGen acquired a stake of slightly more than 30 percent for €20 million.
Aftermath
The cited reference reported an approximate company valuation of €65 million. No change of parent company or full acquisition is identified in the supplied material.
Investment amount and reported valuation. €20 million investment; approximately €65 million reported valuation (2021)
2020
Release of Microsoft Flight SimulatorProduct launchBackground
Microsoft sought a modern large-scale revival of its flight-simulation franchise, requiring substantial technical work in world representation and simulation systems.
Action taken
Asobo developed and Microsoft released Microsoft Flight Simulator for Windows on August 18, 2020.
Aftermath
The title became a central part of Asobo’s international identity and won the 2021 Pégase for Best French Video Game.
2017
Expansion into original intellectual property with A Plague TaleStrategyBackground
After years of licensed adaptations and work for major publishers, Asobo announced a narrative game based on its own original franchise concept.
Action taken
The studio announced A Plague Tale: Innocence, later released in 2019 through Focus Home Interactive.
Aftermath
The game established the A Plague Tale series, received the 2020 Pégase for Best French Video Game, and was followed by a sequel and a planned prequel.
Recent events
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/asobo-studio · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled