New Tomb Raider custodians Embracer Group have said that it sees “great potential” in sequels, remakes, and other content around the franchise.
Earlier this month, the Embracer Group announced the acquisitions of multiple western Square Enix franchises including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Legacy of Kain and more. The publisher is thought to have gotten a great price, too, as it picked up all the franchises, as well as studios Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square Enix Montreal for just $300 million.
It seems the group is wasting no time putting its acquisitions to work, either. In a recent earnings report, Embracer Group spoke on the acquisition, saying: “We further strengthened our development capabilities and IP-portfolio by entering into an agreement to acquire Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief and Legacy of Kain and other IPs.
“We see a great potential, not only in sequels but also in remakes, remasters, spinoffs as well as transmedia projects across the Group.”
Embracer Group also added that the acquisition is expected to be confirmed somewhere between July and September.
The future of Tomb Raider and Deus Ex
This could be exciting news for fans of each series, as it seemed before being picked up, Square Enix didn’t have any big plans for new games in these franchises.
Tomb Raider had a massive resurgence in 2013 with a successful reboot, which spawned a trilogy of games. Deus Ex also released the well-liked Human Revolution and Mankind Divided, which left things open for a third game that never came.
Going forward, Square Enix will be focusing more on its Japanese franchises like Final Fantasy. However, this Embracer Group acquisition potentially changes the future of these Western properties. These franchises are some of the biggest Embracer Group now owns, so it seems in its best interest to invest heavily in them going forward.
The question now is, does the group continue the storyline of Lara Croft from the recent Crystal Dynamic games, or does it get the developer to reboot the series again with a fresh start? While there was room for more games after Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the story did feel wrapped up by the end of the trilogy.