User blog:LadyAeducan/Square Enix Divests Overseas Studios to Embracer Group AB

On May 2, 2022, Square Enix announced its $300 million dollar transfer of several overseas studios to Embracer Group AB, a publisher based in Sweden. The transfer concerns Crystal Dynamics, Inc., and Eidos Interactive Corp. (encompassing Eidos-Montréal and Square Enix Montréal), as well as the IPs Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain.

Per Square Enix's press release, the transaction will "assist the Company in adapting to the changes underway in the global business environment by establishing a more efficient allocation of resources, which will enhance corporate value by accelerating growth in the Company’s core businesses in the digital entertainment domain," and will allow Square Enix to shift focus to other areas such as blockchain, AI, and the cloud. For their part, Embracer Group has expressed enthusiasm for the IPs, noting in their own press release that they are "particularly impressed by the studios’ rich portfolio of original IP, housing brands with proven global potential such as Tomb Raider and Deus Ex, as well as demonstrating the ability to create AAA games with large and growing fan bases."

What this development will mean for the acquired IPs remains to be seen but this could be an exciting sign for Deus Ex fans that, at long last, a new installment in the franchise may be on the horizon.