Embracer Group, the number one publisher of Google Play in the second quarter of 2022, added Tripwire Interactive, Tuxedo Labs, and Limited Run Games among its many acquisitions. With this acquisition, the company acquired the IP rights of the games developed by the companies, including Killing Floor, Chivalry, and Teardown.
Established in 2005 by Alan Wilson and John Gibson in the US state of Georgia, Tripwire has played a role in developing and publishing many games since then. The company, famous for series such as Chivalry and Killing Floor, has more than 110 employees.
Regarding the Tripwire acquisition, Saber Interactive CEO Matthew Karch comments:
“Tripwire is a unique studio. Since their founding in 2005, they have grown, through tremendous leadership and vision, into one of the last great independent developers. I have looked up to Tripwire as an example of how to design and execute on games. Saber has Tripwire to thank for many of our own successes and I am proud to welcome them into our family,”
Limited Run Games, founded by Douglas Bogart and Josh Fairhurst in 2015, is an American-based video game distributor. The company, which started its distribution life with two in-house games, plays a role in the distribution of games by many companies today. The company is also known for creating physical Collector’s Edition versions of many famous games. On the subject, Lars Wingefors, CEO of Embracer Group, says:
”As an avid collector, I’ve admired Limited Run’s collectors’ editions. They’ve built a strong brand that resonates with players. We see opportunities for Limited Run to further grow their business with the Carbon Engine by bringing back classic games, and extend their footprint geographically through synergies with other companies within Embracer Group.”
Tuxedo Labs, established in Malmö, has a smaller team than the acquired companies. The company stands out with its teardown game and has very positive feedback on Steam. The mechanics and visuals in the game are among the factors that attract users’ attention.
Tuxedo Labs Founder Dennis Gustafsson said the following about the acquisition:
“This is a perfect fit for us because of our shared interests in physics-driven game design and Saber’s resources to help us achieve our long-term vision. We will now be able to rapidly expand and accelerate our plans for Teardown, including bringing it to new audiences, while simultaneously focusing on evolving voxel-based technology for our next generation of games.”
There’s more
Embracer has also acquired a Swedish retro video game company called Bitwave Games. Bitwave, which started its broadcasting life under the name Retroid Interactive, has three games named Cow Dash, Wunderling DX, and PictoParty. The company’s games are available on many platforms, including mobile and console.
Speaking of retro video games, the purchases made by Embracer are endless. The shoot ’em up focused Japanese studio named Tatsujin and Clear River Games, which was founded in 2019, joined Embracer.
Also among the acquired companies are distribution-focused Game Outlet Europe, accessories company Gioteck, UX and localization company Quantic Lab, Viking accessories manufacturer Grimfrost, and C77 Entertainment, founded by ex-Microsoft veterans. It is unknown what Embracer’s target is with so many acquisitions, but seeing companies working on accessories and distribution among the acquired companies raises some question marks.
Embracer made all these acquisitions through Freemode, which Embracer wholly owns. On the other hand, Freemode is a unit that will manage Embracer’s acquisitions. The company also acquired Middle-earth Enterprises today.
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