Embracer group has struck yet again! Fresh from having picked up Limited Run Games, the IP rights to Lord Of The Rings, Tuxedo Labs, Singtrix, and more, they’ve picked up another studio, the developer of Maneater, Killing Floor, and Rising Storm – Tripwire Interactive. The agreement will see Tripwire be 100% owned by Embracer and brought under the umbrella of Saber Interactive, the team that also now houses Tuxedo Labs. Tripwire’s publishing label, Tripwire Presents, is now also a part of the transaction, and presumably, those assets will fold into Saber and Embracer’s larger publishing efforts.
Speaking about the acquisition, Saber Interactive CEO, Matthew Karch commented, “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.”
Meanwhile, Alan Wilson, the CEO and co-founder of Tripwire Interactive was really excited about the move, saying “We’ve known Saber for a while now and are really excited about the opportunity to leverage everything they have to offer. Together we are going to be able to deliver more new Tripwire titles, more often than ever before, as well as ramp up the published titles. We look forward to creating a lot more great games that people will love to play.”
In a statement, Embracer Group highlighted the incredible sales of numerous Tripwire titles such as Maneater (16 million players), Rising Storm (14 million players), and Killing Floor (35 million players), and cited these, along with the partnerships that the company had formed with their publishing label, Tripwire Presents, which resulted in Chivarly 2 selling 2 million units, and the upcoming launches of Espire 2 VR, and Deceive Inc, as being among the primary reasons behind their intention to acquire. Currently, Tripwire plays home to 113 developers throughout its Georgia-based office.
“Co-founder and CEO Alan Wilson will stay on in his role and continue to run Tripwire along with Bill Munk, Co-founder and Lead Combat Designer, and David Hensley, Design Director. Co-Founder John Gibson will be pursuing opportunities outside of Tripwire. The acquisition adds an extremely experienced development group with its collection of four strong franchises: Maneater, Killing Floor, Rising Storm, and Red Orchestra. The group has an exciting AAA title in production, as well as a rapidly-growing publishing division,” a statement from Embracer Group accompanying the news of the acquisition reads. Neither party has disclosed the value of the sale due to “commercial reasons,” but are “in line with previous Embracer transactions.”
This latest round of Embracer Group acquisitions complements what they had done earlier this year when they acquired former Square-Enix studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square-Enix Montreal, along with several IPs such as Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy Of Kain.
