Gearbox Studios, developers of good games like those superb Borderlands and Homeworld titles, has just been acquired by Embracer group for a cool $1.3 billion. If the name rings a bell, it’s because Embracer happens to be the same Swedish company that owns THQ Nordic and Koch Media, publishers who have a ton of games on their resume already.
This will be Embracer’s seventh video game holding, adding Gearbox to a portfolio that also includes Saber Interactive and Deca. Gearboss Randy Pitchford issued the following statement after the news was made public:
[Embracer’s CEO ] Lars’s vision of Embracer as an allied partner group committed to fueling and accelerating the ambitions of a series of decentralized, successful entrepreneurial companies while magnifying the collective value and advantages of diversification across the entire group is the most brilliant strategy and design for short, medium, and long-term success in this industry that I have ever encountered in my 30 years in this industry.The feeling at Gearbox is that we are just getting started and this transaction is not merely a stimulant for the talent of our employee-owned company, but a propellent for the exciting future we have planned.
Gearbox will continue to expand its operations under the new deal, which pretty much gives Embracer access to the company’s biggest and most popular properties like Brothers in Arms, Borderlands, and Homeworld. And also Duke Nukem Forever. How does impact Gearbox and 2K’s relationship on the Borderlands franchise? Positively it turns out!
“As the proud publisher of the Borderlands franchise, we are happy for our partners at Gearbox and this exciting new chapter for their organization,” 2K said in a statement.
The merger does not change 2K’s relationship with Gearbox nor our role as the publisher for the Borderlands IP or any other projects we are currently working on with the studio. We look forward to continuing our long-term partnership with this incredibly talented team and delivering many more exciting entertainment experiences to gaming fans around the world.”
With a Borderlands movie in development that stars none other than Kevin Hart as Roland, the continued success of Borderlands 3, and servers shutting down on Battleborn this week, it has been an interesting time for the company.
Last Updated: February 3, 2021
