Only a year or two ago, Embracer wasn’t a name familiar to many videogame followers – most likely because the company’s only gone by that name since 2019, when it rebranded from THQ Nordic – but it’s long been one of the biggest, if quietest, players in the industry. At latest count, it has 222 games in development across 127 internal studios, and a headcount of 14,800 employees.
But if once we could have characterised Embracer as a hidden leviathan, the past year has put an end to that, thanks to a series of high-profile acquisitions. In that time, it’s bought up the western operations of Square Enix, along with the rights to Tomb Raider, Deus Ex and Thief, alongside a host of smaller developers, from Killing Floor creator Tripwire to Teardown micro-dev Tuxedo Labs. That’s been bolstered with a number of acquisitions outside of videogames, beginning with board gaming giant Asmodee for a sum of €2.75bn, and the following week Dark Horse, publisher of Hellboy, Sin City, Umbrella Academy and many other well-known comics. But perhaps the biggest surprise of all was saved for this August, as it scooped up MiddleEarth Enterprises, the rights holder for Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit, as part of a £500m bundle of acquisitions announced all at once.
Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Edge UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Edge UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
NO MORE ROOM IN HELL 2
You're not alone in the dark
WINDBLOWN
Life after Dead Cells
COLLECTED WORKS - JOSH SAWYER
Journeying to the Forgotten Realms, Infinity and beyond with the RPG veteran
SCREENBOUND
Going deep in a mind-bending hybrid of perspectives
Trigger Happy
Shoot first, ask questions later
Grand strategist
Paradox's Mattias Lilja addresses the publisher's recent difficulties - and the plan to right the ship
Diablo IV
A progress report on the games we just can't quit
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection
In Capcom's diabolical tribute, evil goes far deeper than the demons on the screen
SERENITY FORGE
How a near-death experience lit a fire in the Colorado-based developer and publisher
THE MAKING OF...ALIEN: ISOLATION
How a strategy-led studio built a survival horror masterpiece in Ridley Scott's image