Embracer Group To Acquire Square Enix Montreal, Eidos Montreal And Crystal Dynamics

There have been some major acquisitions roaring through the gaming industry these past few years, and it appears that the onslaught of purchases isn’t going to stop until everyone is acquired. Today, it’s been announced that Embracer Group is going to lift Eidos Montreal, Square Enix Montreal, and Crystal Dynamics, off of Square Enix’s weary shoulders.

If you’ve followed Square Enix in recent years, you may have noticed that the company never seemed to really jive with the western market, complaining any time a successful game wasn’t successful enough. That disappointment has led to some gamers becoming worried about certain beloved series, such as Tomb Raider, and more recently, Outriders. For that reason, as much as this collection of acquisitions is a bit concerning, it could end up boding well for fans of these impacted series.

Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

In its press release, Embracer Group says:

The acquisition brings a compelling pipeline of new installments from beloved franchises and original IPs, including a new Tomb Raider game. 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.

Much more praise has been heaped on the developers, and their respective series, throughout the press release. While there’s no guarantee of anything, it does appear that Embracer respects mainstay and recently successful IP. It’s easy to read too far into something, but it’s nice to see Deus Ex get a couple of mentions, as after the release of 2016’s Mankind Divided, there’s been no hint at all that another title would ever be worked on.

Eidos Montreal’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider

If you’re not familiar with Embracer Group, it’s no stranger to gaming. If you peer into its Wikipedia page, you can see a huge collection of well-known developers that have already been absorbed into the umbrella. Those include Gearbox, THQ Nordic, Saber Interactive, and Koch Media.

Considering the fact that last year’s Gearbox acquisition is set to cost Embracer over $1B, it’s pretty astonishing that it’s managed to secure a deal for Crystal Dynamics, Square Enix Montreal, and Eidos Montreal, and all of their IP, for $300 million. According to the press release, the deal is expected to close sometime between July and September of this year.