Sigil Games Online

Sigil Games Online, Inc. was a computer game developer based in Carlsbad, California that was founded by Brad McQuaid and Jeff Butler in January 2002. On January 30, 2007, Sigil released their debut game "Vanguard: Saga of Heroes", a massively multiplayer online role-playing game co-published by Sony Online Entertainment. On May 15, 2007, SOE announced that they had completed a transaction to purchase key assets of Sigil Games Online. As a result, SOE now owns Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, described as Sigil's "tent pole property".

Vanguard: Saga of Heroes
McQuaid and Butler formerly worked for Sony Online Entertainment on the team developing "EverQuest". After their departure, they formed Sigil; on May 16, 2002, Sigil announced that they had reached an exclusive publishing deal with Microsoft and they began work on "Vanguard".

On May 5, 2006 Sigil announced that they had negotiated a deal to purchase the rights to "Vanguard" back from Microsoft, and at the same time announced that they had in cooperation with Sony Online Entertainment arranged a co-publishing deal between Sigil and Sony Online Entertainment.

"Vanguard: Saga of Heroes" was released on January 30, 2007, co-published by Sigil and Sony Online Entertainment.

Acquisition
The staff of Sigil Games Online were told to meet in the parking lot at 4:30PM one afternoon prior to acquisition where the employees were told "You're all fired." The acquisition by Sony Online Entertainment there followed where some employees would be rehired.

Sony Online Entertainment announced on May 15, 2007 that they had acquired Sigil's "key assets", while further stating that Sony Online Entertainment would hire approximately fifty of Sigil's employees and that Brad McQuaid would be consultant to SOE as a creative advisor for Vanguard. Sony Online Entertainment's President John Smedley communicated the announcement to "Vanguard's" playerbase via the game's official forums.