Embracer Group Agrees to Buy Tripwire Interactive

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Embracer Group, through its Saber Interactive division, has entered into an agreement to acquire US developer and publisher Tripwire Interactive.

Tripwire Interactive is known for the Killing Floor and Rising Storm series and the recent bestseller Maneater, as well as the publishing house Tripwire Presents. The terms of the detail have not been disclosed.

“Tripwire is a unique studio. Since their inception in 2005, tremendous leadership and vision have made them one of the last great independent developers,” said Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber Interactive. “I looked at Tripwire as an example of game design and execution. Saber owes Tripwire to many of our own successes and I am proud to welcome them into our family.”

“We’ve known Saber for a while now and are very excited about the opportunity to take advantage of all they have to offer. Together we will be able to deliver more new Tripwire titles, more often than ever before, and to step up the titles published. We look forward to creating many more great games that people will love to play,” said Alan Wilson, CEO of Tripwire Interactive, in a statement.

Background

Founded in 2005 in Roswell, Georgia, Tripwire created the Killing Floor series with over 35 million players, the Rising Storm series with over 14 million players, and Maneater with over 16 million players.

Its publishing division, Tripwire Presents, continues to be a key growth area that has strong partnerships with a variety of developers. It recently launched Chivalry 2, which has sold over 2 million units, and upcoming titles include Espire 2 (VR) and Deceive Inc. The company today has 113 employees in its Georgia office.

CEO Alan Wilson will remain in his role and will continue to lead Tripwire, along with Bill Munk, co-founder and chief combat designer, and David Hensley, design director. Co-founder John Gibson will pursue opportunities outside of Tripwire.

The acquisition adds a highly experienced development group with its collection of four strong franchises: Maneater, Killing Floor, Rising Storm and Red Orchestra. The group has an exciting triple-A title in production, as well as a rapidly growing publishing division, Embracer Group said.

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