This company wants to buy 35 studios in 1 year and create 25 AAA games – Frandroid

The Embracer group continues its great race to acquire studios and now has great ambitions in the production of games.

Do you know Embracer Group? This European group is doing everything not to appear on the covers of games, and yet it is already one of the largest publishers in the world alongside Activision, Electronic Arts and Ubisoft. In a few years, he became known above all for his numerous acquisitions of small and medium-sized studios, but also some big fish. like Gearbox, the developers of Borderlands. Embracer is also the owner of numerous video game licenses: Saint’s Row, Metro, Dead Island, TimeSplitters, Satisfactory, or Darksiders to name just a few.

Today, the Embracer group represents no less than 77 internal studios and 8,000 employees in 45 different countries. And the group has already warned: it’s not going to stop there.

Already 35 buybacks planned within 12 months

In its financial report for the second quarter of fiscal 2021, the Embracer group is quite clear.

Over the past 12 months, we have completed 37 acquisitions and expect to complete a similar number of transactions over the next 12 months. We currently have a wide range of processes and dialogues going on, including a good number of exclusives contracts signed.

The quote is rather explicit, Embracer Group wants to achieve the same number of studio buyouts over the next 12 months as over the last 12, or around 37 studios to buy. If the company achieves its goal, it could therefore exceed 100 internal studios. Despite this very large number of studios, we would still be far from the masses Ubisoft employees which reaches 19,000 workers worldwide.

At least 25 AAA games by 2026

Not all of these studios are going to be twiddling their thumbs. While the bulk of Embracer Group’s production will still be geared towards the “indie” or AA caliber, the firm also wants to increase its rate of AAA blockbusters. According to the financial report, a total of 25 AAA games are planned in the firm’s calendar by March 2026. That makes about six games per year over four years all the same.

On the other hand, it will be necessary to take into account the usual postponements of exits. Embracer also specifies that an unannounced AAA game has seen its release shifted, as well as the recently unveiled Saints Row. The latter was due out in February 2022, and is now scheduled for August 23, 2022.

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