Embracer Group Acquiring Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Square Enix Montreal Along With IPs for $300 Million

embracer group

Just a few weeks ago, Embracer Group announced that they were not done acquiring companies just yet, and it seems that comment was spot-on, as Embracer announced that it was acquiring Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Square Enix Montreal and a catalog of IPs for $300 million!

According to the press release, Embracer will now also own the licenses for Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain, Thief, Sleeping Dogs, and more! In total, there are more than 50 back catalog of games and licenses that will transfer ownership. As for the personnel, this acquisition will involve over 1,100 employees across three studios and eight global locations.

Check out the prepared statements released by both Embracer and Square Enix:

”We are thrilled to welcome these studios into the Embracer Group. We recognize the fantastic IP, world class creative talent, and track record of excellence that have been demonstrated time and again over the past decades. It has been a great pleasure meeting the leadership teams and discussing future plans for how they can realize their ambitions and become a great part of Embracer,” says Lars Wingefors, Co-founder and Group CEO, Embracer Group.

”Embracer is the best kept secret in gaming: a massive, decentralized collection of entrepreneurs whom we are thrilled to become a part of today. It is the perfect fit for our ambitions: make high-quality games, with great people, sustainably, and grow our existing franchises to their best versions ever. Embracer allows us to forge new partnerships across all media to maximize our franchises’ potential and live our dreams of making extraordinary entertainment,” says Phil Rogers, Square Enix America and Europe CEO.

This is a massive steal by Embracer, which now holds the licenses for some of gaming’s biggest properties. Given the disappointing sales Square Enix has seen with Marvel’s Avengers,Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Tomb Raider franchise, this is probably the Japan-based studio’s white flag for churning out games from western studios.

My take: At $300 million, this is a massive steal by Embracer! Imagine owning the studios and the licenses too?! I certainly hope we see a new Legacy of Kain game from this. Sleeping Dogs is another brand that can get another shot, too. You can bet to the bank that we’ll be seeing another Tomb Raider game from this, so that’s a given.

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