A new report published today by Reuters reveals that the Embracer Group is exploring the sale of Gearbox Software with the help of Goldman Sachs and Aream & Co.
According to three anonymous sources, third parties have expressed interest in the potential acquisition of Gearbox, but it is not yet a given that a deal will actually happen.
The rumor follows Embracer Group closing down newly established indie developer Campfire Cabal and triple-A studio Volition (Saints Row, Red Faction). As mentioned in our previous coverage, the underlying cause is the $2 billion ‘transformative’ deal Embracer Group was about to sign with the Savvy Group. When the deal fell through at the last minute, Embracer stock crashed as a result, and the company had to announce a large-scale restructuring program.
Still, the sale of Gearbox Entertainment would be surprising, to say the least. Fan account Embracer Investor wrote on Twitter:
Gearbox is the most promising business unit within Embracer, in my opinion. I highly dislike the idea of a sale, especially in the current market. Gearbox is investing heavily in existing and new intellectual properties, focusing on multimedia viability. It’s a major growth driver for Embracer’s future.
Indeed, the company headquartered in Frisco, Texas, has strong IPs in its portfolio. Chief among them is Borderlands, which will debut next year in theaters with a live action film featuring Cate Blanchett as Lilith, Kevin Hart as Roland, Jack Black as Claptrap, Jamie Lee Curtis as Dr. Patricia Tannis, Ariana Greenblatt as Tiny Tina, Florian Munteanu as Krieg, Édgar Ramírez as Atlas, Bobby Lee as Larry, Olivier Richters as Krom, Janina Gavankar as Commander Knoxx, and Gina Gershon as Mad Moxxi.
Gearbox also publishes games made by other teams, including Remnant II by Gunfire Games, Homeworld 3 by Blackbird Interactive, and Hyper Light Breaker by Heart Machine. The Texan game studio was acquired only two years and a half ago by Embracer for $1.3 billion.
