The Chinese soulslike WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers, whose fate had recently been hanging in the balance, has received a second wind. The rights to the game have been acquired by Digital Bros., the parent company of publisher 505 Games. The deal was worth 32 million yuan (approximately $4.7 million or 376 million rubles).
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Digital Bros acquired the rights to WUCHANG after the studio’s dissolution
Just in April, alarming news broke: the WUCHANG development team was disbanded following the departure of its game director. This was followed by reports of mass layoffs and salary arrears at Leenzee (aka Chengdu Lingze Technology). It seemed the end was near.
But no. Digital Bros. has decided not to let the franchise fade into oblivion. The Italian publisher, which had already partnered with the Chinese studio, is now taking over the intellectual property.
Completely a $4.7 million deal: What Digital Bros received for the rights to WUCHANG
According to a press release published by Insider Gaming, the deal was closed on the terms of a full IP buyout. Digital Bros will receive ownership of the franchise for the entire group of companies. The official statement emphasizes that this will allow for “full preservation of value throughout the product’s lifecycle” and, more importantly, eliminate any future royalties to the developer.
The figure of 32 million yuan was mentioned in the documents. A recalculation yields approximately $4.7 million. Incidentally, a week earlier, information about a $4.5 million purchase surfaced online. A discrepancy of a few hundred thousand is common with conversion and rounding. The essence remains the same: this is a significant deal for such a niche but ambitious game. Digging into the details, it becomes clear that the Italians were proactive.
How Digital Bros and 505 Games Manage a Large Game Portfolio
Digital Bros is no newcomer to the market. Its subsidiary 505 Games published the PC versions of Death Stranding and Control, the cult racing simulators Assetto Corsa, as well as Ghostrunner 2 and dozens of other titles. The company has extensive experience working with complex projects.
Now WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers will be added to this collection. What will happen to the Leenzee studio itself? The full details of the deal are not being disclosed. But judging by the wording, the developers will no longer receive royalties, meaning the future of the series is entirely under the control of the Italians.
This is hardly a coincidence. Digital Bros undoubtedly sees commercial potential in the dark Chinese soul-slice game. And they are willing to invest even after the original team disbanded. Such an unprecedented move in the market doesn’t happen every day.
WUCHANG Fallen Feathers — a soulslike game set in the Ming Dynasty with a complicated history
So, what kind of game is this? WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers is a soulslike game from the Chinese studio Leenzee. It was released in July 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. The target platforms seem logical for the genre. The project was published by 505 Games (the same subsidiary of Digital Bros.). The story takes place in the lands of Shu during the Ming Dynasty. The main character is a female warrior. She slays monsters while simultaneously unraveling her past and trying to overcome the mysterious “Feathering Disease.” It sounds grim. And it’s a soulslike game—no surprises there.
Critics weren’t particularly enthusiastic about the project. “A typical representative of the genre” was the most common description. Gamers, however, mainly complained about the technical state. Bugs, performance drops, the typical set of problems for a high-budget indie game. But here’s the funny thing: recent reviews on Steam are “Very Positive.” English-language reviews are a bit more modest: “Mostly Positive.” It seems the patches and updates have done their job. Or maybe only the most enthusiastic players are left.
What do you think? Digital Bros. paid $4.7 million for the rights—was it an overpayment or a good investment? Share your thoughts in the comments.
