Publisher Square Enix has sold 3 of its largest studios, including the creators of Deus Ex. For fans, this may be good news, as there is hope for a revival of the RPG series. MeinMMO summarizes what happened.
What kind of deal is this? Square Enix has sold its largest western studios. The deal also includes all brands of the respective developers. Here is the overview:
- Crystal Dynamics, primarily known for the reboot of the Tomb Raider games.
- Eidos Montreal, who made a name for themselves as the creators of the dystopian Deus Ex series.
- Square Enix Montreal, primarily responsible for mobile games.
The first two studios are significant players and are known for, among other titles, the “Legacy of Kain” series. Eidos Montreal most recently released the fantastic Guardians of the Galaxy game.
This announcement gives many hope for a continuation of the Deus Ex series, and this hope is not unfounded.
How much does it cost? The deal costs Embracer 300 million US dollars, around 285 million euros. You can find all important details on the official website of the Embracer Group.
You can also watch the complete conference about the deal here, the timestamp starts where it discusses Deus Ex:
Note: There has been no announcement for a new Deus Ex installment yet. There are individual tweets and articles that mistakenly speak of a confirmation. However, there are some indications that suggest otherwise, and we summarize them here for you.
Is a new Deus Ex game coming? Embracer plans AAA single-player games
What is Deus Ex actually? If you are not familiar with the series: for many fans, it is one of the best RPG series of all time. The setting is a dystopian version of the future. The games blend RPG mechanics with stealth and shooter elements.
The focus here is on the story, its characters, and the decisions you can make as a player. The last game, Mankind Divided, was released on August 23, 2016. Since then, things have been quiet around the series. The deal could change that.
This is what we know so far: It remains to be seen how Eidos Montreal will proceed and what strategies will be pursued.
However, the official website of Embracer Group already contains a detailed statement that provides insight. They write:
Embracer believes that there will be an increasing demand for high-quality content, including AAA single-player games, throughout the decade. […] Our approach is that quality in game development comes first.
embracer.com
This already sounds like the strategy fits perfectly with the previous games from Eidos Montreal.
In the announcement of the deal, the Embracer Group stated that they want to make use of the IPs of the acquired studios and see huge potential.
While there is no explicit announcement regarding this, various statements strongly suggest it. As Mankind Divided is now 6 years old and fans are eagerly awaiting a new installment, this step seems logical.
This is not an official confirmation, but for the first time in a long while, there are concrete reasons for fans to hope for a new Deus Ex. Possibly even marketed by a German company.
Koch Media and Deep Silver – Who belongs to the Embracer Group?
Who is it actually? It is a Swedish media company that describes itself as a decentralized organization and unites various firms under one banner. The Embracer Group also includes Koch Media AG and thus the brand label Deep Silver.
Deep Silver is likely a name known to German players, as it is the publisher of Elex 1 and 2, for example. The post-apocalyptic Metro series is also distributed by Deep Silver.
Why is Square Enix actually selling so many studios and brands? Industry analyst Daniel Ahmad writes the following on Twitter:
To make it short:
– The western studios of SE have underperformed on numerous titles.
– The largest growth in the last year came from the Japanese studios (Smartphones / MMO).
– SE has wanted to get rid of the western studios for a while.
Embracer pays the full amount at the finalization of the deal.
via Twitter
Ultimately, these studios and brands apparently no longer fit into Square Enix’s strategy, which primarily generates profit through its MMO and mobile divisions.
Live service games, like Marvel’s Avengers, which became a million-dollar flop or Babylon’s Fall, also failed to achieve real success. The deal could be the best for all parties involved.
But what do you think about it? Would you be looking forward to a new Deus Ex? Or are you skeptical for now? What do you think about Square Enix’s decision to sell these studios?
By the way, Square Enix’s future strategy also includes NFTs – This is the new trend in gaming, companies are worth billions $ – But why?
