Hope for new Crystal Dynamics and Eidos games boosted by Embracer

Embracer Group is reportedly looking at remasters, reboots and spin-offs for its newly-acquired Crystal Dynamics and Eidos games.
legacy of kain embracer group

Embracer Group has claimed it sees great potential in spin-offs, sequels, remakes and remasters of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, and Square Enix Montreal video games in a recent financial call that reportedly hyped up the company’s latest acquisitions. In early May it was announced that Embracer Group would be purchasing the vast majority of Square Enix’s Western studios and their IP, leading many to speculate on the status of existing and defunct properties.

It now appears Embracer has big plans that could extend from more Tomb Raider all the way to Deus Ex, or even to Legacy of Kain and beyond.

‘We recently announced the acquisition of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal and Square Enix Montreal, including Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, Thief, Legacy of Kain and other IPs,’ Embracer CEO Lars Wingefors said on the company’s latest earnings call, per VGC.

‘The announcement got an overwhelming and positive response. We see great potential, not only in sequels but also in remakes, remasters, spin-offs as well as transmedia projects across the group.’

At this stage, the announced acquisition is expected to go through between July and September 2022 – and while this means development is unlikely to start for many months, that these properties are being talked about is an excellent sign.

Read: Legacy of Kain fans have found a reason to hope again

Of the properties named, the most exciting return by far would be Legacy of Kain. While Tomb Raider and Deus Ex have both received major reboots or sequels in recent years, the Legacy of Kain franchise has languished for more than a decade. There was a minor attempt to revive the series via Nosgoth, an online multiplayer game launched in 2015 – but this lasted just a year before it was shut down.

Arguably, Thief is in a similar boat. The 2014 reboot of the franchise failed to find an audience, and was unfavourably compared to Dishonored due to its similar Victorian-era grimy aesthetic – but the franchise certainly has potential, regardless of its lack of critical success.

Either property would be well-deserving of a return, and it seems Embracer Group is willing to take a chance on both in future. The purchase of Square Enix’s hand-me-downs has seemingly been made with firm plans in place, which should excite fans of these properties.

Beyond the acquisition of Crystal Dynamics, Eidos, and Square Enix Montreal, Embracer Group also reportedly hyped up the success of studio Gearbox Entertainment during its earnings call. The developer is reportedly working on a whopping nine AAA games currently, with major plans in the works for the future.

What Gearbox is working on, and what Embracer Group has in store for its newly-acquired studios, will likely become clear in later 2022 and beyond as the company ramps up its contributions to the video games industry.

Leah J. Williams is a gaming and entertainment journalist who's spent years writing about the games industry, her love for The Sims 2 on Nintendo DS and every piece of weird history she knows. You can find her tweeting @legenette most days.