Embracer bought Star Trek Online and other Vortex companies

Embracer Group reopened its bottomless wallet and went shopping. Her biggest pre-Christmas catch this time is Perfect World Entertainment. The publisher’s portfolio includes the Cryptic Studios team, which manages the MMO Neverwinter or Star Trek Online. The acquisition will affect 237 employees and be valued at $ 125 million. Perfect World will become part of the Gearbox Entertainment branch. The business is to strengthen Gearbox’s publishing portfolio, but the newly acquired companies are to retain some form of independence within the group.

Until 2008, the Cryptic studio was independent, then Atari belonged for three years, and in 2011 it was bought by the Chinese company Perfect World.

Founded in 2000, Cryptic Studios is based in Los Gatos, California. The studio successfully develops and manages several MMOs. Cryptic alone has 136 employees. The players were assured that nothing would change for them, or that they could only benefit from the new connection in the future. The leadership of the team and the functioning of their games do not change

Cryptic also continues to run the comic book MMO Champions Online and before that he operated the online games City of Heroes and City of Villains. The studio has repeatedly changed owners. It was independent until 2008, then Atari for three years, and in 2011 it was bought by the Chinese company Perfect World. In 2017, Cryptic announced that it would create an MMO based on Magic: The Gathering, which was later renamed Magic: Legends. The game was released in a trial version only in March this year, but it was already announced in June that it would end in October.

We’re excited to announce that Cryptic is becoming a Gearbox Studio! You can see the link below on our official forums for some more information.https://t.co/odW6j5WcS6

– Star Trek Online (@trekonlinegame) December 21, 2021

However, the list of new stores does not end there. Embracer also bought Spotfilm Networx through Koch Media, which has nothing to do with the games and focuses on the video advertising channel. Another catch is the Hungarian company DIGIC Holdings, which Embracer bought through Saber Interactive. DIGIC is an animation studio that has almost 400 people and focuses on trailers and movies for games, as well as its own animated projects.

The latest acquisition is represented by the American company Shiver Entertainment. Embracer bought it again via Saber Interactive. Shiver is a game development studio that has less than twenty people. They make their own titles, help with others to order and also create ports.

Update: As if that wasn’t enough, Embracer announced this morning that it was also buying Dark Horse Media. This will become the tenth independent operational group within Embracer. Dark Horse is a comic book publishing company that owns over 300 brands and is also active in the field of film, television and game adaptations. The company will be led by its founder Mike Richardson. Founded in 1986, the company has 181 employees and its portfolio includes famous IPs such as Hellboy, Mask or Sin City.