Embracer Group has announced a deal to acquire Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, and Square Enix Montreal from Square Enix Europe in a deal that also includes over 50 IPs, including Tomb Raider, Thief, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain. The Swedish games and media company also owns a number of notable studios and IPs, including its 2021 acquisition of Perfect World Entertainment, Gearbox Software, and Dark Horse Media, along with a number of significant IPs.
This new deal is worth $300 million, according to the official Embracer Group release on the acquisition. While $300 million might seem almost small in light of some of the billion dollar deals announced in recent months, the IP range and more seemed to attract Embracer Group as a way to continue to broaden the company’s reach and variety of studios and IP ownership. This also gives Square Enix the opportunity to offload those studios, which have seen both success and frustration, notably with the release of Marvel’s Avengers.
“The acquisition builds on Embracer’s mission of creating a leading independent global gaming and entertainment ecosystem. Embracer has been particularly impressed by the studios’ rich portfolio of original IP, housing brands with proven global potential such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, as well as demonstrating the ability to create AAA games with large and growing fan bases. There are compelling opportunities to organically grow the studios to maximize their commercial opportunities,” according to the release on the deal.
With this deal, the full list of IPs has not yet been confirmed, but there is a new Tomb Raider game in development. As with prior acquisitions by Embracer Group, when this deal closes, which is expected between July and September of this year, these studios will continue operating as they are, but with new ownership.
Embracer Group closed out 2021 with several significant deals, including buying Perfect World Entertainment, which includes Cryptic Studios and IPs like Neverwinter and Star Trek Online.
