It feels like the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake has been frozen in carbonite forever. And yet, somehow, the unfortunate project is still quite a while away from being ready for launch. Announced in 2021 with Aspyr at the helm, the project has been in Saber Interactive's hands since at least August 2022, with that company recently managing to escape the imploding Embracer Group's clutches in a deal reportedly worth $500 million.
KOTOR remake and Space Marine 2 developers Saber are tipped to become a private company again
29.02.2024 - 19:25 / rockpapershotgun.com / Lars Wingefors / Jason Schreier / Kotor Remake / Saber Interactive / Space
Embracer Group are reportedly selling off Saber Interactive, the company behind the Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic remake and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 among many other things. Apparently, Saber are being flogged to a group of private investors for "up to" $500 million.
The report in question comes from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who cites a person familiar with the negotiations. Schreier also says on Xitter that the Knights Of The Old Republic remake is still in development, despite extended radio silence from Embracer, though whether it'll eventually release is another question.
Embracer are, as you've maybe read round these parts, currently in the middle of a "restructuring" operation after the reported collapse of a billion-dollar Savvy Games investment deal last year. CEO Lars Wingefors and the other Embracer execs have spent many months laying people off, cancelling games and closing studios in a bid to recoup massive debts accrued during an acquisition spree over the past few years.
Saber are or were one of Embracer's biggest subsidiaries, with thousands of employees based in different studios across the USA, Portugal and Russia - Embracer acquired them in 2020 for $525 million. According to Bloomberg, they will become a privately owned company with around 3500 employees when the deal goes through. Saber and Embracer themselves have declined to comment on the report. Schreier has tweeted that "most but not all" of Saber's own subsidiary companies will be sold as part of the deal, though he added that "specifics aren't clear yet".
Also according to Bloomberg's report, the deal includes an option for Saber to bring a bunch of other Embracer subsidiaries with them, though I'm not sure whether this refers to Saber's own subsidiaries, as Schreier suggests above, or other studios within the wider Embracer empire. Certainly, I'm sure there are a fair few who'd love to jump ship at this point. Schreier has separately hinted on Xitter that we'll hear more soon about the fate of Borderlands outfit Gearbox Entertainment. It was rumoured last September that Embracer were considering putting Gearbox up for sale.
Saber's Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was delayed till late 2024 last November. It's not clear how Embracer selling off Saber would affect that project.
Saber or at least Saber subsidiaries have made or helped make a lot of my personal guilty favourites. I'm old enough to remember their gravity-defying PS3 title Inversion, a quintessential "double-A" shooter that was kind of awful but had a certain charisma. Assuming the report above is true, I wish the very best of luck to all at Saber in their efforts to de-Embrace themselves.
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