After becoming synonymous with “bad news”, Embracer is selling Warhammer: Space Marine 2, its developers and the KOTOR remake for half of what it paid for…

 

 

The Embracer Group has been talked about for the past three years; the company dates back to 2008. The affiliate, which built its future on massive studio acquisitions in 2019 intending to become the industry standard, has now confirmed the loss of one of its studios. Warhammer 40K Space Marine 2 developer Saber Interactive has been sold for half its cost.

In addition to studio closures, more than 20 cancelled games, and a slew of layoffs at gaming giant Embracer, Saber Interactive’s departure from the company’s umbrella has been the subject of rumours for two weeks, with sources claiming the conglomerate is indeed planning to sell the studio.

Rumours and half-truths have been confirmed today: Saber Interactive has become part of Beacon Interactive following an agreement signed this morning.

By selling Saber, the company actually remains on familiar ground. According to Bloomberg, Beacon Interactive is a private investment holding company. Saber Interactive co-founder Matthew Karch is at the helm. The deal brought in $247 million. This is surprising since Embracer paid $525 million in 2020 to buy Saber Interactive.

But what about Saber’s in-house licenses and studios? To be clear, the American company has more than 20 internal teams. As such, they were also part of the Embracer. However, Saber Interactive’s exit will not be complete.

Embracer retains a good number of studios, including Tripwire Interactive, the makers of Chivalry, and Aspyr Media, responsible for the recently released Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection.

Regarding licensing, Saber Interactive worked with the Warhammer 40K and Star Wars brands. Both are leaving the company. According to TechRadar, both Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 and the Knights of the Old Republic remake will join Saber as the owner of assets and usage rights for the two games.

 

In addition to the developers of Space Marine 2, the Metro studio can also be sold

 

The other studio currently raising the most doubts is 4A Games. Saber Interactive has owned the Metro series parent since 2020, but this exit leaves the Ukrainian studio in the air. According to Jason Schreier, Saber’s exit goes hand in hand with the deal with Beacon Interactive. According to the latter, 4A Games and Zen Studios will buy the company for a fixed price within a certain period of time.

Source: GamesIndustry.biz, X

In a letter to staff obtained by Bloomberg News, new Saber CEO Matt Karch confirms that they’ve already decided to take 4A and Zen, despite messaging from Embracer suggesting that it may retain the two studios: pic.twitter.com/RtYVL9qUUJ

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) March 14, 2024