DAYBREAK GAME COMPANY APPOINTS CRYPTIC STUDIOS CO-FOUNDER JACK EMMERT AS CEO OF DAYBREAK'S AUSTIN STUDIO

Former Cryptic CEO Takes the Helm of Daybreak's DC Universe™ Online Development Studio Following Its Recent Successful Launch on Xbox One

SAN DIEGO – June 8, 2016 – Daybreak Game Company LLC (Daybreak Games) has brought on Cryptic Studios co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer Jack Emmert to assume the role of CEO of Daybreak’s Austin, Texas-based studio. As the new head of the Daybreak Games studio responsible for the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) DC Universe™ Online (DCUO), Emmert will oversee all development in Austin and will report into Daybreak headquarters in San Diego.

“Jack Emmert’s proven record for creating and operating successful online worlds spans more than 15 years. He brings a clear vision to his work, both as an executive and a game maker, which fits perfectly with our goal of providing players with top quality entertainment experiences,” said Daybreak Games President Russell Shanks.

A designer and writer of computer and role-playing games, Emmert co-founded Cryptic Studios in 2000. As a creative director and, later, chief creative officer, Emmert was critical in helping to define the modern MMORPG genre, leading development of the popular super hero-themed titles City of Heroes, City of Villains, and Champions Online, as well as the Dungeons & Dragons MMORPG, Neverwinter, and Star Trek Online.

“I’m very proud of what we accomplished at Cryptic Studios and I’m ready for a new set of challenges,” said Emmert. “As a lifelong comic book fan, I’m thrilled to become part of the DCUO team and eager to engage and play alongside new communities of players. I look forward to being a part of the future of DCUO, as well as guiding our roster of new titles out of Daybreak Austin.”

DC Universe Online launched on Xbox One in April 2016, following the fifth anniversary of the game’s original debut on Windows PC and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in 2011 (it arrived on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system in 2013). DCUO generated over one million registered Xbox One users in its first two weeks, outpacing its release on other platforms in terms of new users and revenue, and is currently a top-performing free-to-play title on the Xbox Games Store.

About Daybreak Game Company

Daybreak Game Company LLC is a worldwide leader in massively multiplayer online games and emergent gameplay. Best known for blockbuster hits and franchises such as H1Z1®: King of the Kill™, H1Z1®: Just Survive™, EverQuest®, EverQuest®II, PlanetSide®2, DC Universe™ Online, and Landmark®, Daybreak creates, develops and provides compelling online entertainment for a variety of platforms.