THQ and Gearbox parent company Embracer Group has made several new high-profile acquisitions. The Swedish holding group has purchased Remnant: From the Ashes publisher Perfect World Entertainment, as well as legendary comic book publisher Dark Horse Comics and more.
What companies have been purchased by Embracer Group this time around?
Embracer Group seems to be building itself a rather cozy empire. Just a few days ago, the company announced it had acquired tabletop studio Asmodee, and now the group has made several more acquisitions. Let's take a look at the new studios now on Embracer's roster.
Perfect World Entertainment
Embracer's acquisition of Perfect World includes the North American branch as well as Perfect World Publishing. You probably know its name best from games like Remnant: From the Ashes (the developer of which, Gunfire Games, Embracer already owns), as well as MMOs such as Star Trek Online and Neverwinter. This acquisition is worth around $103 million and adds 237 staffers to Embracer's payroll. Perfect World will operate under Gearbox, which Embracer acquired earlier this year too.
Dark Horse Comics
The Dark Horse Comics lineup includes classics like Frank Miller's Sin City, as well as cult mainstay Hellboy, The Mask, and Gerard Way's comic Umbrella Academy. The specific price of Embracer's purchase hasn't been disclosed "due to commercial reasons", but Dark Horse's structure will remain intact, with CEO Mike Richardson continuing to lead the company along with his existing staff.
Shiver Entertainment
If you've heard Shiver Entertainment's name before, it's probably because you played the Nintendo Switch port of Mortal Kombat 11. The company has also worked on the Scribblenauts franchise, as well as mobile titles State of Chaos and Beasts vs Bots. Shiver is headed up by former EA execs John Schappert and Jason Andersen and will run under Saber Interactive henceforth.
DIGIC
Hungarian animation studio DIGIC has worked on cinematics for Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, and Halo, among others. The studio has also created content for shows like Netflix's Love, Death and Robots and has worked on trailers and teaser cinematics for several games as well. Again, the terms of the transaction haven't been disclosed, but DIGIC will operate under Saber Interactive, also contributing to Gearbox and THQ projects.
Spotfilm Networx
Finally, Embracer Group has acquired Spotfilm Networx, a studio mostly known for video on demand channels in Germany. These channels include Netzkino, which Embracer describes as "one of the most popular ad-supported streaming platforms in Germany". Spotfilm Networx was acquired for an undisclosed amount and will operate under Embracer subsidiary Koch Media.
As you can see, it's another bumper crop for Embracer. Dark Horse and Perfect World are the big names here, but the other studios will almost certainly be useful acquisitions for Embracer as well. It's no surprise the Swedish company is making so many acquisitions; successes like Valheim are driving strong financial years for Embracer, so expect to see their name pop up much more in the months to come. We'll bring you more on Embracer and its acquisitions as soon as we get it.
What studio would you like to see Embracer acquire next? Let us know in the comments below!
