Another major acquisition has gone through by Embracer Group, formerly known as THQ Nordic AB. Embracer Group has picked up the developer ofWorld War Z,Saber Interactive. The cost of the acquisition is reportedly $525 million, with $150 million up-front and another $375 over three years based on performance.Saber Interactivewill maintain its autonomy and has no restructuring plans. As such, both itsKilling Floor 2andSnowrunnerprojects' development should continue as before.
Saber Interactive is a studio that’s grown significantly over the past 5 years. For a long while, the Saber has relied heavily on supplementing its development income by porting other studios' games to PC and console. Its own projects, includingGod Mode,R.I.P.D. The Game,NBA Playgrounds,Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn, and more recentlyWorld War Z, have all had degrees of success, but not necessarily the kind of success that would ensure the studio’s independence.
RELATED:THQ Nordic Opens New Studio to Develop ‘Survival Shooter’ Games
Perhaps it was exhaustion over having to rely on porting other studios' projects that led to Saber Interactive’s sale toEmbracer Group. Or perhaps its ability to port a diverse range of games to all platforms that made Saber Interactive so appealing to Embracer Group.
Embracer Group has made dozens of acquisitions over the past 7 years. The company now claims 31 different studios across the world, with over 2,500 staff members. These include five different core subsidiaries in THQ Nordic, Koch Media,Coffee Stain Holding, Amplifier Game Invest, and now Saber Interactive.
The sheer total of games being produced by Embracer Group currently is difficult to keep track of. Sabre Interactive adds two, in the Spintires: MudRunner sequelSnowrunnerandKilling Floor 2, which is being worked on with Tripwire. Coffee Stain is working onSatisfactory. Amplifier hasLittle Nightmares 2being made by Tarsier Studios, as well as a new IP from an all-new studio. Koch Media hasRide 4andMonster Energy Supercross 3from Milestone, and a half-dozen games from Deep Silver’s partners, and at leastBiomutantandSpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom - Rehydratedfrom THQ Nordic.
What’s next for Saber Interactive remains to be seen, beyond the studio’s two in-development games. Saber, retaining its autonomy, could shift to focus on its own IP or it could continue working on ports. Either way, Saber should have much more reliable financial support than it’s ever had previously. It’s exciting to consider what that kind of support might mean for the company’s future, whether that beWorld War Z 2or otherwise.
