THQ Nordic’s parent company, Embracer Group, has officially added another established studio under its vast umbrella. Saber Interactive, the team behind World War Z and The Witcher 3’s Switch Port, is now a member of Embracer Group’s growing family. With this purchase, Embracer acquires all of Saber Interactive’s assets, as well other related entities, such as studios based in Belarus, Portugal, Russia, Spain, and Sweden.
Embracer’s purchase price includes an initial consideration of $150 million USD. An earn-out consideration also factors into the agreement, whereby, should specific milestones be met, another sum of up to $375 million USD will be exchanged. After all is said and done, Saber will become Embracer’s fifth operating group. Together Saber’s co-founders, Matthew Karch and Andrey Iones, will serve as Embracer’s second largest shareholder.
According to Embracer Group’s own announcement of the acquisition, $100 million USD was paid in cash. The remaining $50 million USD will be taken care of in shares.
Interestingly, the announcement also featured a sales update concerning World War Z’s performance. Since its April 2019 release, wherein it sold one million copies in a week, the zombie title has surpassed three million units in sales. At present, the future of World War Z, and other Saber projects that were published elsewhere, remains somewhat of a mystery. Such details are not outlined in Embracer’s otherwise lengthy and in depth report on the studio’s acquisition.
News of the purchase comes several months after another big shift at the studio, which involved the hiring of former id Software boss, Tim Willits. Upon joining Saber in August 2019, Willits took on the role of Chief Creative Officer.
[Source: Embracer Group via Gematsu]
