The Walking Dead team partially reforms at Skybound Games

Episodes 3 and 4 of The Walking Dead: The Final Season may be completed and released in some form in the future, according to Telltale Games. — AFP Relaxnews

Work on the final episodes of award-winning adventure game The Walking Dead has resumed, after many team members of closed development studio Telltale have joined Skybound, the media company owned by franchise creator Robert Kirkman.

When game developer Telltale Games suddenly shut down in September this year, its flagship title, a choice and consequence adaptation of The Walking Dead, was halfway through a fourth and final season.

Its second episode released on PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch a few days later, leaving the interactive adventure's audience in the lurch with two more episodes to go.

Skybound Games, a division of Skybound Entertainment, acquired the rights to the game and in October announced its intention to bring over developers who had been working on it, where possible.

Though very early in the hiring process, Skybound Games CEO Ian Howe had previously predicted a 2018 release for Episode 3, and that hope is now a step closer to realisation – though Skybound hasn't yet confirmed that 2018 window.

"We're excited to let you know that many of the talented, passionate team members who originally worked on the game are resuming development efforts today," Skybound announced in a Nov 19 blog post.

Release dates for the two remaining episodes would be announced "soon", and previous seasons of The Walking Dead adventure game may become unavailable for purchase from digital storefronts as ownership is transferred.

Episodes 3 and 4 will be included as a free update for owners of The Walking Dead game's Season Four.

The project is distinct from a different official video game, the action-oriented Overkill's The Walking Dead, which released on PC earlier in November and is set for a February 2019 debut on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. – AFP Relaxnews