Embracer just announced the closure of several of its studios. Is the next Tomb Raider game in development at Crystal Dynamics in grave danger?
When will we find Lara Croft? The most famous adventurer in video games brought us a great epic in 2018 Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Unfortunately, since this episode serves as the conclusion of the trilogy, we don’t have much news from the Brit. In 2022, just weeks after Embracer Group acquired Crystal Dynamics, Eidos-Montreal and Square Enix Montreal, we just learned that a new installment of Tomb Raider was in development. Today, Embracer announces the closure of several studios as part of a restructuring. Immediately after the announcement of numerous layoffs, some players expressed their concern for the future of the future Tomb Raider.
Embracer Makes Big Decisions, Tomb Raider in Danger?
In a press release published on his site official pageThe Swedish group Embracer announces a comprehensive restructuring with immediate effect. Through March 2024, the company will make several changes to its operations. According to Embracer, several studios are being closed and unannounced low-ROI projects are being canceled. But Embracer is not giving up on the video game industry and clearly shows its desire to strengthen its position in the video game market.
We are now embarking on several actions to strengthen our cash flow and leverage our intellectual property portfolio to become a stronger company and launch into a stable future to create even better games for the benefit of gamers and fans around the world .
That’s why we understand Tomb Raider should not be affected by this restructuring. On its Twitter account, Crystal Dynamics confirms that the game under development will not be affected by Embracer’s decisions.
First pictures of the game this year?
Thus, the company counts “Increasing external funding for internally developed high-budget games” and reiterates his desire to focus on developing his own licenses. Let’s hope that the group will reassure the most ardent fans and present the title developed on Unreal Engine 5 well this year, as the rumors suggest. On the other hand the next deus exthat was in development on the Eidos Montreal side could really be in jeopardy, even if Embracer itself wanted to restart the saga.
In recent years, Embracer has had a string of ticket-queuing studio acquisitions, but none of the company’s subsidiaries have delivered memorable productions. Last significant failure: Saints Row released in August 2022 and which is clearly not essential. So the restructuring announced by the company is not that big of a surprise. In addition to the studios mentioned above, Embracer also has big names in the industry such as THQ Nordic, PLAION, Coffee Stain, Amplifier Game Invest or Saber Interactive. The Swedish group owns a total of 138 studios in 40 different countries.
