Embracer Group has announced that it is planning to fully capitalize on its recent acquisitions of classic Square Enix IPs with sequels, remakes, and spinoffs potentially on the cards for games including Deus Ex and Tomb Raider. The acquisition saw Embracer Group buying out some of Square Enix's major Western studios earlier this month in what has become the latest significant game studio purchase this year, following Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard, and Sony's acquisition of Bungie.
Embracer Group acquired Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square Enix Montreal, and with these studios, it acquired the rights to some of the biggest and most iconic IPs in the gaming world. These include Tomb Raider, as well as much-beloved franchises that have laid dormant for years like Thief and Legacy Of Kain. Upon purchasing these studios, Embracer reiterated that its mission was to create a leading independent global gaming and entertainment ecosystem and has pointed out that it was particularly impressed by the studios’ rich portfolio of original IPs, and could see plenty of opportunities to grow the studios and maximize their commercial opportunities. The Square Enix buyout totaled $300 million.
A recent earnings report from Embracer Group has shone a light on the company's future plans with a particular section, highlighted by Twitter's Nibel, that references Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, and Legacy of Kain. In its statement, Embracer says that after the “overwhelming and positive response” to the purchase, it sees “a great potential” in the properties, especially the potential in remakes, remasters, spinoffs, and other transmedia projects. The latter could include previously announced projects such as Netflix's Tomb Raider anime as well as entirely new movies and series based on the popular game properties. As for remakes and remasters, Embracer now holds a strong catalog all ripe for a re-release.
The statement has mostly pleased fans who want to see these IPs getting more attention after the Deus Ex reboot series was abandoned to make way for the controversial Marvel's Avengers. The move ended up costing Square Enix millions due to the Marvel title's disappointing sales. As for other games mentioned by Embracer, Legacy Of Kain hasn't had a new release since the early 2000s, despite being highly praised by fans and critics in its time. Of course, other fans are cautious, pointing out that Embracer does run the risk of doing too much too fast and oversaturating IPs that were already getting attention, such as Tomb Raider, which has recently had a new game announcement as part of the Unreal Engine 5 launch showcase.
In particular, the potential remasters and remakes of classic Square Enix games certainly seems to have pleased those who want to revisit the titles without using an array of mods or emulators to get them running on modern hardware. Although it's yet to be seen how it will all play out, it's clear that Embracer Group has big plans for its newly acquired IPs, and that fans have plenty in store to look forward to - especially those who miss Deus Ex or desire more Tomb Raider.
Source: Embracer Group, Nibellion/Twitter