Echtra Games

Echtra Games was a San Francisco-based video game development studio focused on action role-playing games, multiplayer systems and cross-platform development for PC and consoles. Founded in early 2016 by Max Schaefer and David Glenn, the studio brought together developers with experience on earlier Blizzard and Runic titles. It was established in partnership with Perfect World Entertainment to develop a new entry in the Torchlight universe.

Its first project was announced in August 2018 as Torchlight Frontiers, a persistent, shared-world online ARPG built on Unreal Engine 4. During development, alpha testing and community feedback prompted a substantial change in direction. Echtra moved away from the proposed free-to-play MMO structure and reshaped the project into a premium ARPG with a more traditional format.

Renamed Torchlight III, the game launched in October 2020 for Windows PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The transition from Frontiers to Torchlight III was a change to the game project, rather than a change to the studio's identity. Echtra was also a separate company from Runic Games, the developer responsible for the first two Torchlight games.

Zynga acquired Echtra in March 2021 to expand its capabilities in PC, console and cross-platform game development. The Torchlight intellectual property remained with Perfect World. Under Zynga, Echtra collaborated with fellow development studio NaturalMotion on an unannounced cross-platform RPG, reported under the codename Magellan. The project was canceled before announcement following the studio's shutdown. Take-Two Interactive became the ultimate parent through its acquisition of Zynga in May 2022.

Echtra's technical work encompassed game design, systems architecture, multiplayer combat, engine optimization and development pipelines. In June 2025, Zynga closed the studio as part of a strategic realignment, ending its operations and development of future titles. Its former website subsequently redirected to Zynga's corporate site.