Nintendo has acquired known porting studio Shiver Entertainment from Embracer – the studio behind the recent Hogwarts Legacy and Mortal Kombat 1 Switch ports.
The acquisition was announced through an official press release earlier today. Following the acquisition, Nintendo will obtain 100% of the outstanding shares of Shiver to make it a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Japanese gaming behemoth. As mentioned above, Shiver has been working on the recent Switch versions of Avalanche Software’s Hogwarts Legacy and NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat 1.
“By welcoming Shiver’s experienced and accomplished development team, Nintendo aims to secure high-level resources for porting and developing software titles”, the press release reads. “Going forward, even after it becomes a part of the Nintendo group, Shiver’s focus will remain the same, continuing commissions that port and develop software for multiple platforms including Nintendo Switch.
As mentioned by Bloomberg journalist Takashi Mochizuki on X, many see the acquisition as a way for Nintendo to strengthen resources available for third-party devs to bring more high-end titles to the recently confirmed Nintendo Switch 2, which is expected to arrive sometime next year.
During Nintendo’s most recent earnings call with investors, President Shuntaro Furukawa talked about expansion, pointing out that acquisitions might be part of the company’s strategy, although the focus is expanding via recruitment of recent graduates and mid-career hires. “Although development resources could be expanded through M&A, first we will work within the company with our developers, who thoroughly understand and have built up the Nintendo brand over the years, to have them nurture talent who can drive Nintendo’s future development”, Furukawa said. “In addition, many of our external development partners have gained a deep understanding of Nintendo’s way of thinking and game development methods over the many years of collaboration, and we would like to further strengthen our ties with such partners.”
