The developer of the iconic local co-op party shooter Duck Game has noted on his blog that he owns the intellectual property to Duck Game and is determined to continue developing the game until an apocalyptically dire scenario occurs. Yes, that includes the very real threat that Warner Bros., which owns publisher Adult Swim Games, will delist the game and remove it from stores.
The developer's contribution comes as more and more games from publisher Adult Swim Games are being delisted by Warner Bros.It is becoming increasingly likely that the publisher's catalog will be completely deleted. That might include Duck Game, that might not.
In a post on his BlogDeveloper Landon Podbielski made it clear that he firmly believes there are ways to continue development on Duck Game should the worst-case scenario occur.
“Duck Game turns 10 on May 13th and will be performing at his own party. DG is part of it.” [sic] It belongs to both me and the players, and it belongs to all the great people who used to work at the best game publisher I could ever ask for. There's no way anything will ever make it go away. I will never stop updating it as long as my hands and eyes work,” he said.
He's also clear that the Adult Swim Games doing this now have nothing to do with the Adult Swim Games of the past: “None of the great people who worked at ASG are to blame, but the fact is, that those people were there.” [sic] To me, ASG has become a terrifying corporate puppet without them, and Duck Game has lost its delicate care [sic] former goalkeepers,” he said.
Duck Game has long been a good local multiplayer game, a silly platform shooter game where you're all ducks with very silly weapons trying to take each other down. It's a no-fault, no-frills kind of fun. We generally look at PC Gamer as an example of how indie developers saved local multiplayer from extinction in the 2010s.