Embracer Group owns several game studios, including THQ Nordic and Gearbox Software.
Embracer Group/ Screenshot by CNET
Video game giant Embracer Group on Tuesday said it has agreed to acquire Dark Horse, one of the largest comic book publishers in the US.
Embracer is the Sweden-based parent company of several game studios, including THQ Nordic, Koch Media, Gearbox Software and Saber Interactive. The Dark Horse acquisition will strengthen Embracer’s “transmedia capabilities by adding expertise in content development, comics publishing, and film & TV production,” as well as create opportunities new video games, the company said in a release.
Dark House owns or controls over 300 intellectual properties, including company-owned titles such as The Mask, Time Cop and Ghost. In addition to comics, the company has a production arm, Dark Horse Entertainment, that produced the Hellboy films and the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, and a collectible retailer, Things From Another World. Founder and CEO Mike Richardson will continue to lead the company.
“I can’t express the excitement I feel as Dark Horse moves into this new chapter in our history,” Richardson said in a statement. “The synergies that exist with the Embracer network of companies promises exciting new opportunities not only for Dark Horse, but also for the creators and companies we work with.”
Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.