Recently, we reported that Embracer Group was looking to sell off Saber Interactive (the publisher/developer of games like Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game, and more) for around $500 million.
Now, in a new post by Embracer, we have a lot more details on this departure. Embracer has announced that it is ceasing all operations in Russia by divesting a number of studios to Saber Interactive. The deal for Saber's departure is worth around $247 million.
Embracer claims it divested assets including 38 ongoing game projects, as well as studios such as 3D Realms, Slipgate Ironworks, New World Interactive, Nimble Giant, Sandbox Strategies, Mad Head Games, Fractured Byte, and Digic. Notably, this doesn't include Metro developer 4A Games, which is currently working on what many believe to be the next major entry in the franchise.
The option is still open for Saber to buy the Ukrainian-Maltese developer, but currently it's unknown whether it will stay with Embracer Group or not. Embracer is also retaining control of 13 other projects that were previously under Saber's oversight.
It seems that the split isn't as clean as we might have once thought, as some studios remain with Embracer while others are being divested to the newly private Saber Interactive. We'll have to wait and see for more concrete details on what this means for upcoming projects and games.
UPDATE
As per a new tweet from Jason Schreier, it seems that Embracer will not keep hold of 4A Games. Schreier claims that thanks to Saber taking that studio along with Zen Studios, the total price for Saber Interactive to go back to being independent is around $500 million, which would be what Bloomberg reported last month.
<social>https://twitter.com/jasonschreier/status/1768212177888948349</social>