Though not quite on the same level as the likes of Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, to say that Embracer Group is a pretty big player in the video game industry would be a bit of an understatement. Made up of publishers including Gearbox Entertainment, THQ Nordic, and Deep Silver, the Swedish company has quietly grown into one of the industry's biggest and most influential entities over the past decade or so.
In recent years, the group added Saber Interactive and 4A Games to its impressive stable of studios and, with them, the rights to popular series like Metro and Crysis. However, the group's most recent acquisition is by far its most impressive, with several industry-leading studios and one or two of the biggest video game franchises of all time now among its vast array of assets.
In the early hours of May 2, Embracer Group announced that it had entered into an agreement with Square Enix to acquire three of the Japanese giant's biggest development studios. As well as Eidos and Square Enix Montreal, the $300 million deal will also include Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the hugely successful Tomb Raider reboot trilogy.
When all's said and done, the deal will affect more than 1,000 employees across eight different locations worldwide. In addition to this, it will also include the rights to more than 50 previously released games as well as an impressive catalog of IPs that includes Thief, Deus Ex, The Legacy of Kain, and the aforementioned Tomb Raider series.
Announcing the deal, Embracer's co-founder and CEO Lars Wingforce expressed his delight at being able to welcome the three studios to Embracer Group, while also taking the time to recognize the world-class creative talent and fantastic IPs that they bring along with them. Phil Rogers, the CEO of Square Enix America and Europe, also expressed his delight at the deal.
Though big-budget acquisitions are fast becoming commonplace in the modern gaming landscape, news of this one will likely take quite a few people by surprise. Between them, the Tomb Raider and Deus Ex franchises have sold more than 100 million units, which makes the $300 million that Embracer will spend to finance the deal seem somewhat reasonable. Throw in the other IPs and the huge back catalog of games, and Embracer may well have bagged themselves a bargain, especially with a new Tomb Raider game already confirmed to be in development.