Gamers may be familiar with Aspyr Media for the company's work on the Knights of the Old Republic remake. While the remake of the classic BioWare title is still in the works, it seems Aspyr is looking to broaden its workforce by acquiring Beamdog. Technically, this acquisition is also for Embracer Group, which purchased Aspyr for $100 million back in 2021.The buying of Aspyr was one of many acquisitions made by Embracer Group last year, as the company bought well-known studios like Gearbox Entertainment and Ghost Ship Games. Aspyr's acquisition of Beamdog will support the Embracer Group's foothold outside the Swedish company's European roots. Beamdog is a studio previously known for the remake of popular RPGs such as Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. However, the studio is also currently working on its own new IP titled MythForce.Beamdog unveiled the first gameplay trailer for MythForce earlier in the week, showing off an interesting roguelite experience combined with an art style that reflects the Saturday morning cartoons of the 80s and 90s. The game is set to come to early access this year, allowing up to four players to traverse a randomly generated castle that throws traps, enemies, and everything else that can be expected in an evil castle at them. MythForce is said to be an appealing project for Aspyr Media. However, the publisher has also stated that it would like to see Beamdog maximize its potential with an incredible archive of classic games.
Considering both Asypr Media and Beamdog have a history of developing and porting classic games to modern machines, the two working together will likely produce some more remade titles down the line. Beamdog's current focus is MythForce, and Aspyr is still working on the Knights of the Old Republic remake, meaning that the two will probably be doing their own thing for a while. Aspyr seems more than happy to let Beamdog continue as it is, with former Bioware employee Trent Oster still leading the studio.
Oster made a statement on Aspyr's acquisition of Beamdog, stating that he believes the purchase will lead to "a ton of exciting opportunities for us." To Oster, it seems that the acquisition is almost a relief, as he continues his statement by saying, "Beamdog can now focus our talent, efforts, and imagination on building the great games we want to play," implying that the purchase allows Beamdog to move on from financial worries. Looking at the bigger picture, the acquisition of Beamdog may be one of many buyouts Embracer Group is looking to make in 2022, even after its many purchases in 2021, as the conglomerate plans to further its standings in China, North America, and the UK..
MythForce launches in Early Access on April 20, exclusively on the Epic Games Store.