Video recreation big Embracer Group has obtained the rights for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien by its acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises. The holdings firm additionally acquired a number of different gaming studios to kind its new group, Embracer Freemode.

Embracer Group has made main acquisitions lately, positioning it as considered one of gaming’s largest forces. It made headlines earlier this 12 months when it acquired Square Enix’s Western studios, acquiring the IP rights to franchises like Deus Ex. Now, the corporate holds the rights to the Lord of the Ring collection — not simply the rights to publish video video games primarily based on the franchise, however the whole IP.

The Lord of the Rings buy is essentially the most surprising bit of reports from Embracer’s acquisition spree, however it’s solely small piece of the corporate’s shopping for binge. Embracer Freemode will embody the newly bought Limited Run Games, Tuxedo Labs, Bitwave Games, Gioteck, Tripwire Interactive, Singtrix, and Tatsujin.

“Creators by their nature are at the forefront of industry-leading innovation and disruption, Lee Guinchard, Freemode CEO, said. “Founders are empowered to realize their true creative vision. Ultimately, our goal is to provide our entrepreneur-led companies with the essential resources to deliver the most exciting entertainment experiences for fans around the world.”

Bitwave Game, Tripwire Interactive, and Tuxedo Labs are recreation growth studios. Bitwave additionally introduced that will probably be rereleasing retro titles like Truxton, Twin Cobra, Out Zone, and Zero Wing later this 12 months. Tripwire is finest identified for video games comparable to Killing Floor and Maneater, whereas Tuxedo Labs is the studio behind Teardown.

Tatsujin is Embracer’s first Japanese studio, led by Masahiro Yuge. Singtrix and Gioteck are extra product firms, with the previous specializing in music and audio gaming merchandise whereas the latter creates gaming equipment like headsets and controllers. Limited Run Games creates bodily copies of video games and collector’s editions.

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