It’s recently emerged that Embracer Group is considering selling Borderlands developer Gearbox Entertainment, as the company looks to steady itself in a period of financial uncertainty following a failed $2 billion deal with Saudia Arabia’s gaming group earlier this year. However, other options for the studio’s future are being considered as well.
As reported by Bloomberg, in an internal email sent out by Gearbox’s chief communications officer Dan Hewitt to all employees following recent reports of a sale, “taking Gearbox independent” has been mentioned as one of several options being under consideration for the future- though the “best case”, according to Hewitt, would be for Gearbox continuing to remain under Embracer’s ownership.
“The base case is that Gearbox remains a part of Embracer,” the email reads. “However, there are many options under consideration, including Gearbox’s transfer, taking Gearbox independent, and others. Ultimately, we’ll move ahead with whichever path is best for both Gearbox and Embracer.”
That said, Hewitt says that “nothing has been decided yet”, and warns that there will be “a lot of speculation” regarding the company’s future in the coming weeks.
Embracer Group completed its acquisition of Gearbox Entertainment in April 2021, in deal worth up to $1.4 billion. Earlier this year, amid fiscal struggles, the company said that as part of an internal restructuring program, it would be laying off staff, shuttering studios, and cancelling projects.