Last week, fans of Square Enix’s western IP such asTomb Raider,Deus Ex, andSleeping Dogsmay have been shocked to learn that the company is selling these IPs and the developers to Embracer Group, the company that currently owns publishers such as Deep Silver and THQ Nordic. The sale for $300 million willinclude around 50 legacy IP from Square Enix’s western branches, as well as some of its most beloved studios such as Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal.
One factor that remains unclear, however, is the status of these developers' most recentMarveltitles,Marvel’s AvengersandMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. These IPs were licensed fromMarvel Comicsthrough The Walt Disney Company, and are not properties of Square Enix. The future of these IPs remains unclear heading into the sale of the developers and titles between Embracer Group and Square Enix.
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The Status of Embracer Group, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy
Despite a week passing since Embracer Group’s announcement of its acquisition of Square Enix’s western IP and studios, very little has been said publicly regarding how the company intends to approach the recent Marvel titles published by Square Enix. One thing the company has commented on is that, in a recent interview, Embracer Group’s founder Lars Wingefors claims that all of the past titles released by Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, and Square Enix Montreal are now property of Embracer Group. This means the studio now has the rights tothe currently existing versions of 2020’sMarvel’s Avengers, and 2021’sMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Lars further claims that in order for the acquisition of the studios and the IP to close, the transaction needs to be approved by a number of external sources, which could include The Walt Disney Company and its ownership over the Marvel IP. He also admits that he doesn’t believe that there will be any issues with approvals regarding the acquisitions from regulators or publishing partners. When the acquisition is complete, fans can still expect theremaining support forMarvel’s Avengersto be completed.
It’s worth noting that Embracer Group seems to already have a strong relationship with Disney. One of the publishers owned by Embracer Group is Saber Interactive, alongside Aspyr, the developer behind many recent ports of classicStar Warstitles includingStar Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicandStar Wars: The Force Unleashedto Nintendo Switch. Aspyr is also working onthe upcoming remake ofStar War: Knights of the Old Republicfor PC and PlayStation 5. Given this relationship, it can at least be said that Embracer Group has connections with Disney to at least have discussions regarding its Marvel properties.
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The Future of Marvel’s Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy
The question remains of whether or not Eidos Montreal and Crystal Dynamics be given the chance to return toMarvel’s AvengersandGuardians of the Galaxyin the future. Right now, it’s impossible to say. Given it’s $300 million buyout for its studios and IP, and Crystal Dynamics' recent announcements of both itscollaboration with The Initiative onPerfect Dark, and production on an Unreal Engine 5 poweredTomb Raidergame, it seems Embracer Group might want the studios to return to the original IP for the time being.
WithCrystal Dynamics occupied byTomb RaiderandPerfect Dark, it seems unlikely that any follow-up toMarvel’s Avengerswill be coming any time soon, outside of the planned content updates for 2022. This makes sense considering Square Enix reportedly spent over $100 million developing the game, so Embracer Group likely wouldn’t be wanting to dive head-first into a sequel to such an expensive title after a big acquisition.
As for Eidos Montreal; whileMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxyhas gone on to receive critical acclaim and a strong response from fans, the game’s sales still appear to have not met Square Enix’s expectations. With the move to Embracer Group, the new parent company may want Eidos Montreal to return to its catalog of legacy IP such asDeus ExandThief, instead of diving headfirst into contractual agreements and licensing from Marvel and Disney. It’s possible that these discussions have already taken place and Eidos Montreal is already planningGuardians of the Galaxy 2, but given the financial performance of the first game, it seems unlikely.
While the near future of these titles remains uncertain, the long-term after the acquisition is finalized will likely show a different outcome for the future of theMarvelgames.Guardians of the Galaxyin particular has strong potential for a sequel, so while the immediate future is uncertain, it is likely that the studios will return to these franchises eventually.
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