It seems that the three-part Embracer Group (which has grown too big too fast) will not be selling its 4A Games team after all.
Until now, the plan was for 4A Games to move from the Embracer Group to Saber Interactive (who recently released Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, published by Focus Entertainment). Saber announced six months ago that they were breaking away from the Lars Wingefors-led conglomerate, and at the time we heard that the Ukrainian studio (they have moved their headquarters to Malta) would be their prey in the spin-off. That seemed logical, but here comes the baffling twist in the story.
According to Bloomberg editor Jason Schreier, Saber Interactive CEO Matt Karch said in a statement that they had always intended to use their rights to 4A Games, but thought it would be better for all parties if the developers known for the Metro franchise ended up staying with the Embracer Group, so they would not leave the conglomerate that has stopped its rapid expansion since the Savvy Games deal fell through.
Fans didn’t like what Schreier said because Embracer closed a lot of studios and a lot of people lost their jobs. Maybe their opinion will improve when 4A Games finally announces their new Metro game. This was announced by the publisher back in August 2019, but it’s still only clear that the next installment will be released sometime this decade. There will be another Metro project this year, but it won’t be a full-fledged classic AAA episode, but a VR game, Metro Awakening, being worked on by Vertigo Games (who we know from Arizona Sunshine).
Another studio will also remain with Embracer, as Zen Studios has not changed hands, so the team known for pinball games will also be owned by the Embracer Group. That’s it…
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