Earlier today, Electronic Arts Inc. sent shockwaves throughout the entire gaming industry when they announced that they have agreed to acquire TitanFall Developer Respawn Entertainment for approximately $455 million dollars. Under this new agreement, EA will pay $151 million upfront, $161 million in long-term stock units to employees and an additional $140 million for the successful completion of certain performance milestones as titles are developed over the next 5 years.
The transaction closes at the end of the year and fans can expect a new Titanfall, Star Wars, and VR game sometime between 2019 and 2022. Below is a lengthy statement from Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson as to why this massive acquisition was made.
“We’ve seen firsthand the world-class caliber of Respawn as a development studio with incredible vision, deep talent and an inspiring creative mindset. Our longtime partnership is grounded in a shared desire to push the boundaries and deliver extraordinary and innovative new experiences for players around the world. Together, we’ve brought this to life in the Titanfall franchise, and now with the Respawn team joining EA, we have exciting plans to accomplish even more amazing things in the future.”
EA has garnered a lot of negative attention from both the media and fans all year long thanks to the mixed reactions from Mass Effect: Andromeda and the unexpected closure of Visceral Games a few weeks ago. Many have already speculated that Respawn may ultimately suffer as a result of this move. Ultimately time will tell how everything pans out but hopefully, everything goes smoothly for all parties involved.
What are your thoughts on EA acquiring Respawn Entertainment? Should we be happy or worried about the long-term fate of this once independent studio? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
Source: Business Wire Press Release
