Gearbox Software - Feature Image

Borderlands Developer Gearbox Software Acquired For $1.3 Billion

Gearbox Software, the folks behind the popular Borderlands series and the recently defunct Battleborn, has been acquired by the Embracer Group for $1.3 billion.

The Embracer Group, formerly known as THQ Nordic AB, owns a whole heap of studios, including THQ Nordic (Remnant From The Ashes), Saber Interactive (Vampyr), Deep Silver (Dead Island, Metro Exodus), and Coffee Stain Studios (Valheim). Their acquisition of Gearbox Entertainment Company comes as no surprise, as they already own over 200 very popular franchises including Saints Row, Dead Island, Goat Simulator, Kingdoms of Amalur among many others. Adding Borderlands to that list makes a whole lot of sense.

Gearbox Software’s CEO, Randy Pitchford, said that the acquisition was a “propellent for the exciting future we have planned.” It seems that the Embracer Group has no plans to step on Gearbox’s toes, and in fact, it’s very likely this will give Gearbox enough of a boost to continue producing Borderlands titles.

Gearbox Software - Studio
Image Credit – Gearbox Software

2K, the publishing company that produces the Borderlands franchise, said in their own statement that “The merger does not change 2K’s relationship with Gearbox nor our role as the publisher for the Borderlands IP or any other projects we are currently working on with the studio.” So, for any of you who were worried that this would signal the death of Borderlands, don’t worry, by all accounts it should still get made.

It is likely that the procuring of Gearbox Entertainment Company will see Gearbox hiring more staff, opening a new studio, and expand their partnerships, possibly with those already under the Embracer Group’s wing. We’ll have to see what all of this means for Gearbox and the future of its franchises (don’t forget it also owns Brothers in Arms, Duke Nukem, and Homeworld, although I highly doubt we’ll see a return of those titles any time soon), but it sure could lead to some exciting stuff. It also seems that the Borderlands film being produced by Gearbox and directed by Eli Roth is still underway, so I doubt this acquisition will affect it in any drastic way.

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