22cans

{{Infobox company

| name = 22cans Ltd

| logo = 22cans logo.png

| type = Private

| industry = Video games

| founded = {{Start date and age|df=yes|2012|02|20}} in Farnborough, England

| founder = Peter Molyneux

| hq_location_city = Guildford

| hq_location_country = England

| key_people = {{Unbulleted list|class=nowrap|Simon Phillips (CEO)|Peter Molyneux (creative director)}}

| products = Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube?, Godus

| num_employees =

| num_employees_year =

| website = {{URL|http://22cans.com/}}

}}

22cans Ltd is a British video game developer based in Guildford. It was founded in February 2012 by Peter Molyneux, previously of Bullfrog Productions and Lionhead Studios.

History

Peter Molyneux, who had previously founded Bullfrog Productions and Lionhead Studios, established 22cans on 20 February 2012 in Farnborough. To do so, he left Lionhead and partnered with Tim Rance and Peter Murphy, Lionhead's former chief technology officer and company director, respectively. Molyneux first announced the establishment on 7 March.{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012-03-07-peter-molyneux-leaves-lionhead.html |title=Peter Molyneux leaves Lionhead and Microsoft to found 22 Cans |first=Daniel |last=Cooper |date=7 March 2012 |website=Engadget |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=19 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919110931/https://www.engadget.com/2012-03-07-peter-molyneux-leaves-lionhead.html |url-status=live}} By April that year, he had received more than 1,000 applications.{{cite web |url=https://www.engadget.com/2012-04-21-molyneux-over-1-000-applicants-for-work-at-22-cans.html |title=Molyneux: Over 1,000 applicants for work at 22 Cans |first=Jordan |last=Mallory |date=21 April 2012 |website=Engadget |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=16 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216192806/https://www.engadget.com/2012-04-21-molyneux-over-1-000-applicants-for-work-at-22-cans.html |url-status=live}} Significant hires were Jack Attridge in July 2012 and Jamie Stowe in April 2013.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-04-20-jack-attridge-departs-22-cans |title=Jack Attridge departs 22 Cans |first=Brendan |last=Sinclair |date=20 April 2015 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=6 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906181746/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-04-20-jack-attridge-departs-22-cans |url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/04/27/former-ubisoft-design-director-joins-molyneux-39-s-22-cans.aspx |title=Former Ubisoft Design Director Joins Molyneux's 22 Cans |first=Kyle |last=Hilliard |date=27 April 2013 |magazine=Game Informer |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125190216/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/04/27/former-ubisoft-design-director-joins-molyneux-39-s-22-cans.aspx |url-status=live}}

22cans' first game was Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube?, which was released for Android and iOS on 6 November 2012.{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/curiositys-difficult-debut-moment-by-moment/ |title=Curiosity's difficult debut, moment by moment |first=Stephen |last=Shankland |date=29 November 2012 |website=CNET |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=20 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201020092516/https://www.cnet.com/news/curiositys-difficult-debut-moment-by-moment/ |url-status=live}} In 2015, following the troubled launch of Godus, Simon Phillips was hired as the company's chief executive officer, replacing Molyneux, who would henceforth focus on game design.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-17-meet-the-man-trying-to-fix-22cans |title=Meet the man cleaning up after the Godus disaster |first=Wesley |last=Yin-Poole |date=19 July 2015 |website=Eurogamer |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108095417/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-07-17-meet-the-man-trying-to-fix-22cans |url-status=live}} Godus{{'}} co-creator and designer Jack Attridge had left the studio by April 2015, while Godus{{'}} remaining designer, Konrad Naszynski, left in June 2016, as his contract with the company had ended.{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/godus-designer-is-no-longer-with-22-cans/ |title=Godus designer is no longer with 22 Cans |first=Andy |last=Chalk |date=28 June 2016 |website=PC Gamer |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108122434/https://www.pcgamer.com/godus-designer-is-no-longer-with-22-cans/ |url-status=live}}

In November 2016, 22cans released The Trail: Frontier Challenge for mobile devices{{cite web |last1=Takahashi |first1=Dean |title=Peter Molyneux's The Trail: Frontier Challenge is coming to Steam (update) |url=https://venturebeat.com/games/peter-molyneuxs-the-trail-frontier-challenge-is-coming-to-steam/ |website=VentureBeat |access-date=14 September 2023 |date=13 July 2017}} with modest promotion.{{cite web |last1=Donnelly |first1=Joe |title=Peter Molyneux on press exile, No Man's Sky and kickstarting his career |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/peter-molyneux-on-press-exile-no-mans-sky-and-kickstarting-his-career/ |website=PC Gamer |access-date=14 September 2023 |language=en |date=1 September 2017}} 22cans and publisher Kongregate later announced in July 2017 they would rework the mobile game for PC, with Molyneux saying they would "take the core gameplay and narrative of The Trail on mobile and reimagine it for Steam players," with gameplay that would be "far more strategic." It was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS on Steam 15 August 2017.{{cite web |author1=Andy Chalk |title=Peter Molyneux's The Trail: Frontier Challenge is now on Steam |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/peter-molyneuxs-the-trail-frontier-challenge-is-now-on-steam/ |website=PC Gamer |access-date=14 September 2023 |language=en |date=16 August 2017}} It was then released for the Nintendo Switch March 2018.{{cite web |last1=Croft |first1=Liam |title=Review: The Trail: Frontier Challenge (Switch eShop) |url=https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/the_trail_frontier_challenge |website=Nintendo Life |access-date=14 September 2023 |date=8 March 2018}}

In February 2019, 22cans announced Legacy, a game inspired by Molyneux's first released game, The Entrepreneur (1984),{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-02-11-peter-molyneux-shares-first-details-on-workshop-tinkering-industrialist-sim-legacy |title=Peter Molyneux shares first details on workshop-tinkering industrialist sim Legacy |first=Matt |last=Wales |date=12 February 2019 |website=Eurogamer |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=8 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108001728/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2019-02-11-peter-molyneux-shares-first-details-on-workshop-tinkering-industrialist-sim-legacy |url-status=live}} a text-based business simulation game about running a fledgling company.{{cite web|url=http://redherring.com/Home/1598 |title=Seeing next-gen games in black and white |work=Red Herring |date=5 April 2001 |access-date=14 September 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100201211958/http://redherring.com/Home/1598 |archive-date=1 February 2010 }} The studio underwent an undisclosed number of layoffs in February 2021, though confirmed that development would continue.{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-02-16-peter-molyneuxs-studio-22cans-suffers-layoffs |title=Peter Molyneux's studio 22cans suffers layoffs |first=James |last=Batchelor |date=16 February 2021 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |access-date=16 February 2021 |archive-date=16 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216100205/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2021-02-16-peter-molyneuxs-studio-22cans-suffers-layoffs |url-status=live}} Molyneux announced in December 2021 that Legacy will incorporate blockchain-based elements including non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which will allow players to sell and purchase virtual goods as part of the business simulation gameplay.{{cite web | url= https://www.vg247.com/peter-molyneux-blockchain-business-sim-nfts | title = Peter Molyneux is making a blockchain-based business sim with NFTs | first = Jeremy | last =Signor |date = December 12, 2021 | accessdate = December 12, 2021 | work = VG247 }} By March 2022, before the announcement of a release date and more than a year-and-a-half before the game's eventual release, all in-game land plots were sold by 22cans,{{cite web |last1=Strickland |first1=Derek |title=Peter Molyneux's new game Legacy has sold $57 million worth of NFTs |url=https://www.tweaktown.com/news/85053/peter-molyneuxs-new-game-legacy-has-sold-57-million-worth-of-nfts/index.html |website=TweakTown |access-date=18 September 2023 |date=13 March 2022}} generating over {{US$|50,000,000}} in revenue from cryptocurrency-based sales of digital land NFTs.{{cite web |last1=Sweezy |first1=Tim |title=Peter Molyneux's Legacy Isn't Out Yet And Has Already Sold $53M In NFT Game Plots |url=https://hothardware.com/news/peter-molyneuxs-legacy-has-already-sold-53m-in-nft-game-plots |website=HotHardware |access-date=18 September 2023 |language=en-us |date=16 December 2021}} The game was released to the public on 26 October 2023 on Gala Games as a freemium title for macOS and Microsoft Windows.{{cite web |title=22Cans New Game "Legacy" Launches on Gala Games |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/22cans-new-game-legacy-launches-on-gala-games-301969183.html |website=www.prnewswire.com |access-date=10 May 2024 |language=en |date=26 October 2023}}

In June 2023, Molyneux announced 22cans was working on a new game, likely for PC and console and less likely to be developed for mobile. Though Molyneux gave few details, he said it is the first game he's coded for since his work on Black & White and that the studio has been exploring ideas for the game for the past five years.{{cite web |last1=Caballero |first1=David |title=Here are the first ever details on Peter Molyneux's next project at 22cans |url=https://www.gamereactor.eu/here-are-the-first-ever-details-on-peter-molyneuxs-next-project-at-22cans-1281593/ |website=Gamereactor UK |access-date=18 September 2023 |language=en |date=30 June 2023}} Molyneux later revealed the project was codenamed Project MOAT and will be set in Albion, a fictional setting from the Fable franchise.{{cite web |last1=Carter |first1=Justin |title=Peter Molyneux wants Project MOAT to represent his life's work |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/peter-molyneux-wants-i-project-moat-i-to-represent-his-life-s-work |website=www.gamedeveloper.com |publisher=Game Developer |access-date=23 December 2023 |language=en}} The game was first shown at Gamescom 2024 under the title Masters of Albion and described by Molyneux as "an open-world god game" with third person combat elements.{{cite web |last1=Carpenter |first1=Nicole |title=Peter Molyneux announces new game, Masters of Albion |url=https://www.polygon.com/news/442150/peter-molyneux-announces-new-game-masters-of-albion |website=www.polygon.com |publisher=Polygon.com |access-date=6 January 2025 |language=en}}

Games developed

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Platform(s) ! scope="col" \| Publisher(s)
scope="row" \| 2012 \| Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube? \| Android, iOS \| 22cans
scope="row" \| 2014 \| Godus \| Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows \| DeNA, 22cans
scope="row" rowspan="2" \| 2016 \| Godus Wars \| macOS, Microsoft Windows \| 22cans
The Trail: Frontier Challenge \| Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch \| Kongregate
scope="row" \| 2023 \| Legacy \| macOS, Microsoft Windows \| Gala Games
scope="row" \| TBA \| Masters of Albion \| "PC and console" \| 22cans

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Platform(s)

! scope="col" | Publisher(s)

scope="row" | 2012

| Curiosity: What's Inside the Cube?

| Android, iOS

| 22cans

scope="row" | 2014

| Godus

| Android, iOS, macOS, Microsoft Windows