Embracer Group Closes Saints Row, Red Faction Developer - Hardcore Gamer

Embracer Group has reportedly laid off more than 25 employees from Beamdog, according to former employees via LinkedIn, as spotted by GameDeveloper. Beamdog, the studio behind Baldur’s Gate Enhanced Edition, Neverwinter Nights Enhanced Edition, and Mythforce was acquired by Embracer’s Aspyr Media subsidiary in April 2022. 

For a good few decades the gold standard on how to tank a brand was New Coke.  In 1985 Coke decided to change its flavor, and that went over so well it became the textbook example of the a company being completely disconnected from what its userbase needed.  Then Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and the fallout made the Coke decision seem like corporate management at its most thoughtful, but there’s still enough life left in the platform that this Tuesday’s Unity announcement practically caused it to explode.  When a company that’s as ubiquitous in gaming as Unity decides it wants to compete with 1985 Coke and 2022 Twitter in terms of spiking its brand, people are going to talk.

Borderlands developer Gearbox is reportedly up for sale by parent company Embracer Group. As per Reuters, the Swedish conglomerate is looking to restructure following a $2 billion (about Rs. 16,586 crore) deal with Saudi Arabia government-funded Savvy Games Group that fell through, earlier this year. The fallout resulted in the former cutting down on spending, in addition to closing down studios and laying off its employees. Having been acquired merely two-and-a-half years ago, Gearbox is now the latest victim, with some alleged third-party publishers expressing interest in acquiring the developer. No names were mentioned, though they were described as “international gaming groups.”

Gearbox Entertainment, the developer of the Borderlands franchise, is reportedly being put up for sale by parent company Embracer Group.

A new report published today by Reuters reveals that the Embracer Group is exploring the sale of Gearbox Software with the help of Goldman Sachs and Aream & Co.

Embracer Group completed its acquisition of Borderlands developer Gearbox Entertainment in April 2021 in a deal worth up to $1.4 billion, though it seems the Swedish firm is already considering reversing course. In a report published by Reuters, it’s been claimed that the Embracer Group is considering several options for Gearbox Entertainment, with a full sale being one among them.

Embracer Group is considering options for The Gearbox Entertainment Company, including a sale, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

NetherRealm Studios today revealed one of the final characters for Mortal Kombat 1, Nitara.

Embracer Group has shut down Volition, and as a studio that has been around for three decades, it’s obviously got some notable releases under its belt. But with the studio now shuttered, what will become of its properties?

Yesterday, August 31, saw the end of Volition, and the studio bid farewell with one final post on Twitter. In its message, the 30-year-old developer looked back on its existence, saying it's "been around long enough that some folks forget what we made, but they certainly know our games."

Saints Row and even Red Faction fans were undoubtedly dismayed at yesterday's sudden news that Volition Games would be closing down.

On the heels of a total and immediate shutdown for 30-year-old studio Volition, publisher Deep Silver says that series like Saints Row and Red Faction aren't dead yet.