Embracer Group to acquire Limited Run Games, rights to Lord of the Rings and Hobbit IP and more

You might recall that a few months ago, Embracer Group made headlines by acquiring several development studios and IPs previously owned by Square Enix. Well it seems they weren’t done, as they’ve gone on somewhat of a new acquisition spree.

On the gaming side, Embracer Group has announced that they are acquiring Limited Run Games, Singtrix, Tuxedo Labs, Tripwire Interactive, Tatsujin (notable because foreign studios rarely purchase Japanese companies), Bitwave Games, Gioteck and another as-of-yet undisclosed PC/Console gaming company. Additionally, they are also acquiring Middle-earth Enterprises, a company which owns most of rights in the Lord of the Rings universe when it comes to movies, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks and stage productions.

All of these acquisitions are being made through the intermediary of Embracer Freemode, a new operating group established to help support, invest in and grow some of these small to mid-sized companies. The total cost of all these acquisitions is estimated by Embracer Group to end up at around SEK 8.2 billion, roughly USD $790 million.

Embracer Group has put out several full PR statements detailing the reason behind these purchases and providing more detail on the companies being acquired, which you can check out here. For the most part, it seems to be a matter of diversifying their portfolio and gaining access to new resources, be they Limited Run Games’ publishing and Carbon Engine (a game engine specialized in emulating older games for modern hardware), the vocal processing effects technology of Singtrix, a gaming accessory brand in Gioteck or the sheer weight of the Lord of the Rings IP, including the upcoming Amazon-produced series.

At this point, it’s hard to tell exactly what the consequences of these acquisitions will be, but it’s sure to make an impact on the industry, especially if Embracer continues to acquire new companies in the coming months. What are you thinking about this new set of acquisitions and Embracer Group’s rapid expansion? Let us know in the comments below.