A new report says that Embracer Group is preparing to sell off Saber Interactive in a $500 million deal. The new private company would also retain projects like its KOTOR remake.
Embracer Group has been on a months-long restructuring effort that continues to lead to studio shutdowns, and the loss of more than 1,400 jobs (as the company's latest financial report revealed). If the sale goes through as reported, then the new private Saber Interactive would also move another 3,500 jobs off Embracer Group's employee roster.
The new deal was reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, who says that the deal could be Embracer’s most significant move in its ongoing restructuring. Saber Interactive has been working on the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake since development on that project was moved from original developer Aspyr to another internal studio at Embracer Group. That turned out to be Saber Interactive, and development on that high-profile project would continue if the company is spun off into private ownership.
SCOOP: Saber Interactive, developer of the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake, will leave Embracer in a $500 million deal to become a privately owned company — the biggest move yet in Embracer's ongoing cost-cutting initiative https://t.co/QzpQ2uQ9r2
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) February 29, 2024
Saber Interactive was purchased by Embracer Group back in 2020, and a few other Embracer Group studio acquisitions were eventually folded under Saber. These include Demiurge Studios and New World Interactive, and the new report says that the proposed $500 million deal has options to include other Embracer subsidies along with it.
We’ll have to see if and when there are moves made on this front. It does seem like a deal that could benefit Embracer’s longer goals, and still keep work on KOTOR and other potential projects intact in an otherwise tumultuous year so far for development teams.
