Embracer Group has embarked connected an acquisition spree contiguous that includes Limited Run Games, Tripwire Interactive, and the IP rights to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. There are 5 acquisitions successful full today, alongside a sixth undisclosed woody for a institution successful the PC and console gaming space.

The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit rights mean Embracer present has power implicit movies, video games, committee games, merchandising, signifier productions, and adjacent theme-park rights for the Tolkien phantasy franchises. This includes Amazon’s precise large and expensive instrumentality connected Lord of the Rings that volition debut connected Prime Video connected September 2nd. Embracer notes that it could adjacent research “additional movies based connected iconic characters specified arsenic Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn and different characters from the literate works of J.R.R. Tolkien.”

Embracer is simply a immense publishing radical that recently acquired large names similar Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Thief, and already operates much than 100 studios including Borderlands developer Gearbox, Saber Interactive, and THQ Nordic. Saudi Arabia precocious bought a $1 cardinal involvement successful Embracer, astir 8 percent of the company’s shares.

Could we yet spot a Gandalf movie? Image: Tolkien Enterprises, Inc. / New Line Cinema Corporation

Embracer’s addition of Limited Run Games opens the doorway to much carnal games crossed its studios and games, arsenic Limited Run is good known for collector’s editions and it often enables smaller developers to beryllium capable to make carnal copies of their games. Tripwire is known for Killing Floor, Maneater, and Rising Storm. The immense publishing radical besides announced contiguous the acquisition of location karaoke strategy Singtrix and Teardown developer Tuxedo Labs.

Embracer has been softly gathering its elephantine publishing group, and it besides owns comics and amusement marque Dark Horse. “I americium pleased to invited an astonishing radical of entrepreneur-led companies to the Embracer household and to widen our portfolio with immoderate genuinely singular IPs and franchises, including The Lord of the Rings,” says Embracer co-founder and CEO Lars Wingefors successful a statement. “It is encouraging that our radical has go a earthy and preferred purchaser of creative, increasing and profitable companies wrong Gaming and Entertainment.”

The 5 acquisitions announced contiguous are astir $577 cardinal successful full upfront costs, and there’s adjacent a sixth concealed acquisition that Embracer isn’t disclosing yet. “Embracer has entered into statement to get different institution wrong PC / console gaming that, for commercialized reasons, is not disclosed today,” explains a financial filing. “The acquisition terms for this un-disclosed acquisition is successful the scope of being among either 3rd oregon 4th largest of the transactions.”

Embracer’s buying spree comes months aft its woody to get Square Enix’s 3 large Western crippled studios, and amid immense acquisitions crossed the gaming industry. Sony acquired Destiny developer Bungie for $3.6 billion, and Take-Two spent $12.7 billion connected FarmVille maker Zynga. Microsoft is besides successful the process of its giant Activision Blizzard acquisition for $68.7 billion.