Embracer Group plans to split into two entities by 2027, reshaping how it manages its sprawling portfolio of game franchises. Fellowship Entertainment will inherit the publisher's marquee properties like Lord of the Rings and Tomb Raider, while the restructured Embracer handles remaining operations.
The split opens doors for dormant franchises that have languished without active development. Embracer's chair Lars Wingefors explicitly named Deus Ex, TimeSplitters, Saints Row, Legacy of Kain, Red Faction, Thief, and The Mask as candidates for external partnerships. The company actively seeks collaborators to revive these properties rather than shelving them.
This strategy reflects industry reality. Embracer owns hundreds of franchises accumulated through aggressive acquisition campaigns over the past decade. Many sit idle because the publisher lacks bandwidth to develop everything internally. Instead of letting valuable IP rot, Embracer now courts external studios and partners to unlock their potential.
The move carries real stakes for players. Deus Ex hasn't shipped a new entry since 2016's Mankind Divided. TimeSplitters, the cult-classic arena shooter, last released in 2005. Saints Row received a soft reboot in 2022 that underperformed commercially. These franchises retain passionate fanbases hungry for new content. Partnering with hungry indie studios or smaller publishers could inject fresh creativity while keeping projects manageable.
For the industry, this signals a shift in how mega-publishers handle their backlogs. Rather than mothballing IP, licensing to external partners spreads risk and keeps franchises alive on modest budgets. It mirrors how Microsoft and PlayStation increasingly green-light third-party projects set in established universes.
Wingefors also mentioned AAA franchises like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and Borderlands remain in play for partnerships. This suggests