Only a few weeks after their latest round of acquisitions, we’ve learned Embracer Group has acquired Demiurge Studios, SmartPhone Labs, and Fractured Byte.
Embracer Group has acquired Demiurge Studios, SmartPhone Labs, and Fractured Byte, all of which were acquired through their subsidiary Saber Interactive.
Here’s a rundown on each company:
Demiurge Studios
Demiurge Studios is an independent games developer based just outside of vibrant gaming hub Boston in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, founded in 2002 by Albert Reed, Chris Linder and Tom Lin. Demiurge has a rich history, and after a shift in strategy in 2008 to focus on free-to-play mobile, Demiurge was acquired by SEGA’s mobile division in 2015, and then re-acquired in a management buyout in 2020 by Albert Reed. The original founders are still involved in Demiurge today and CEO Kurt Reiner leads the team of 68 employees in total.
Demiurge Studios has been involved in many co-development projects and contributed to over two dozen titles, out of which four are original mobile free-to-play titles: Crazy Taxi Gazillionaire, Sega Heroes, Puzzle and Glory, and Marvel Puzzle Quest. The studio develops games cross-platform and is now focusing primarily on the AAA segment. It has worked with leading international developers and publishers such as THQ, Gearbox, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, SEGA, and Epic Games on titles such as Titan Quest, Borderlands, Brothers-in-Arms, Mass Effect, Medal of Honor: Airborne, and Rocket League: Sideswipe.
“Our search for a partner that would give us the freedom and trust to grow our business has led us to this day. Demiurge fits perfectly into the Saber/Embracer ecosystem and we have plans for immediate and rapid growth as part of the company”, says Kurt Reiner, CEO of Demiurge Studios.
SmartPhone Labs
SPL is an independent software testing and game development company, established in 2002 and led to this day by its co-founder Artem Kharitonov. The studio is based in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, and engages over 100 employees. SPL develops games on multiple platforms including PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, mobile and VR. They focus on modern production and testing practices and have extensive experience working with Unity, custom C++ engines, VR and backend systems. SPL has a long-standing developer relationship with Saber, having collaborated on many successful projects including bringing Mudrunner to mobile and World War Z to Switch, in addition to several work-for-hire projects.
Within Embracer, SPL will operate as a subsidiary under Saber Interactive, with continued focus on software testing and games development. With the acquisition of SPL, that was owned by the founders and current management, Saber will onboard an experienced team and will further strengthen Saber’s position in Russia and Eastern Europe.
“We are thrilled that SPL is joining forces with the world class team at Saber. Saber has been our partner for a long time and we really share their values. I look forward to continue working with the team at Saber on new exiting projects in the future”, says Artem Kharitonov, co-founder and CEO of SPL.
Fractured Byte
Founded in 2018, Fractured Byte is an independent studio with headquarters located in Tallin, Estonia and with development operations across three locations in Ukraine. The studio has extensive game development experience and has collaborated with global developers and publishers on porting projects. For example, the studio’s experience involves work on titles such as Borderlands: The Legendary Collection and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 for Nintendo Switch. Fractured Byte is led by one of its co-founders who will remain as CEO.
Through the acquisition, Saber onboards an experienced team that adds to Embracer’s work-for-hire capabilities and continues to build on the longstanding relationship with the studio. Going forward, Fractured Byte will continue to operate as a subsidiary to Saber and work closely with the Saber team on internal and external game development projects.
“We are excited to team up with Saber to build on our existing relationship. We look forward to growing the studio under Saber and Embracer and continue making great games”, says co-founder and CEO of Fractured Byte.
