Gearbox Entertainment, the developer of the Borderlands franchise, is reportedly being put up for sale by parent company Embracer Group.
The team that most recently put out titles including Borderlands 3 and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands was fully acquired by Embracer Group in 2021 for approximately $1.3 billion. This was part of a string of purchases made by the Swedish holding company, which also owns THQ Nordic, Plaion (formerly Koch Media), Saber Interactive, and Crystal Dynamics among many more.
A report from Reuters now suggests that Embracer Group is looking to sell Gearbox Entertainment, according to three anonymous sources. The sources claim that a number of "international gaming groups" are interested in acquiring the Borderlands creator, who also published the critically and commercially successful Remnant 2 a month ago.
Embracer's desire to sell Gearbox Entertainment may have been borne from what is reportedly a rough year for the holding company. Back in May, it was reported that a "groundbreaking strategic partnership" worth $2 billion fell through at the last minute (via PC Gamer). This latest report also closely follows the closing of Saints Row developer Volition, the reboot of which was received poorly by series fans and critics alike.
Furthermore, Gearbox Entertainment CCO Dan Hewitt recently told Bloomberg that "there are many options under consideration" in regards to Gearbox's future ownership, which may include a transfer to another company or "taking Gearbox independent."
As for which parties are interested in acquiring Gearbox Entertainment from Embracer Group, that remains a mystery. But it wouldn't be a surprise to learn that gaming giants like Tencent, Xbox Game Studios, or Sony Interactive Entertainment would be partial to the buyout, given how valuable the Borderlands IP continues to be.
For more games like the Borderlands series, consider checking out our guides to the best FPS games and the best co-op games.
