13 companies, including 11 game developing studios, have joined Embracer Group, formerly known as THQ Nordic AB.

Embracer Group, which owns THQ Nordic, Koch Media Group, or Deep Silver, had an announcement for each acquisition, but we’ll simply recap who does what and where they are in the hierarchy. 34BigThings (based in Torino, Italy, with 28 employees), responsible for the Redout franchise, is now part of Saber Interactive, and with the acquisition, they can develop their games for more platforms. Thinking Ape Entertainment (Kingdoms at War, Casino CX; Vancouver, Canada) is a mobile studio, joining the DECA Games label. The same applies to IUGO Mobile Entertainment (PvPets: Tank Battle Royale, The Walking Dead: Road to Survival; also located in Vancouver).

Coffee Stain North (formed in 2013 in Stockholm; 22 employees) has been working together with Coffee Stain Studios on Goat Simulator since 2017, and they also worked on a unique title (A Story About My Uncle), but now, they are directly part of Coffee Stain Studios. Their next game will launch in 2021. Flying Wild Hog (Shadow Warrior; Poland, 260+ employees) is a big acquisition, and they are now an independent studio under Koch Media Group, working on four projects for external publishers. Mad Had Games (Mystery Case Files, Dark Parables; Novi Sad, Belgrade in Serbia; 130 employees) join Saber Interactive, with the three founders remaining at the helm. Nimble Giant Entertainment (working on Quantum League with 75 employees) continues its PC and console collaborations under SAber.

Purple Lamp Studios (SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom – Rehydrated; 38 employees) is part of THQ Nordic, exclusively on their behalf, and they will focus on licensed IP. Silent Games (Tyne, England; 30 employees) is working on an original universe, and the first part of the series will arrive in 2023. They are now part of Amplifier Game Invest. Snapshot Games (Phoenix Point; United States, Bulgaria, 65 employees) joined Saber to work on „premium” titles as an independent studio. The Budapest-based Zen Studios (Operencia: The Stolen Sun, Pinball FX series) similarly joined Saber to do the same.

And finally, the two, non-game studio acquisitions. Quantic Lab, based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is a software outsourcing company specialized in quality assurance. They now are directly under Embracer Group. Sandbox Strategies is a PR and influencer relations agency, specializing in content creation for gaming and entertainment, and the acquisition, according to Embracer, will help with future innovative gaming content creation across the group.

Let’s see what the new studios will make. Flying Wild Hog is a big catch for them, and we weren’t joking before when we said we should keep an eye on THQ Nordic AB/Embracer Group’s growth – they are slowly becoming a big player in the industry.

Source: Gematsu

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