After 19 years, Saber Interactive is no longer an independent studio—it's been bought by Embracer Group, the parent company of THQ Nordic. You might know Saber Interactive from MudRunner and its upcoming sequel SnowRunner, but you'll most likely be familiar with its third-person zombie shooter World War Z.
It seems the success of World War Z, despite tepid reviews, is what spurred on Embracer's acquisition of Saber. It's pretty telling that Embracer notes that the game has "sold more than three million units" in the press release. World War Z actually sold way above expectations, according to the studio's CEO. Saber puts this down to its Epic Store exclusivity but didn't explain why.
Oh, and don't fear, Saber will still operate as a standalone company, which should mean it can keep making the kinds of games it's good at. Keep giving me rough terrain to drive unruly vehicles across, please.
Embracer's acquisition of Saber will initially cost $150 million for all assets, which includes studios in Russia, Sweden, Belarus, Spain, and Portugal. However, if Saber meets its financial goals then Embracer may have to pay up to a maximum of £375 million as part of an earn-out consideration.
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