EA's $1.2 billion acquisition of Codemasters is now complete
The Codemasters and Electronic Arts deal has formally gone through, with EA completing its $1.2 billion acquisition of the British studio.
EA, the publishing giant behind franchises like FIFA, Battlefront, Mass Effect, and many others, now owns the rights to Codemasters' impressive suite of IP.
As such, EA now has the rights to properties like F1, Project CARS, GRID, Dirt, WRC on top of its existing racing IP (including Need for Speed, Real Racing and Burnout).
The acquisition has been in the works for a while, and EA outbid Take-Two late last year after the Rockstar and 2K parent company expressed interest in taking over the UK developer.
“This is the beginning of an exciting new era for racing games and content as we bring together the talented teams at Electronic Arts and Codemasters,” says Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts. “Racing fandom continues to grow worldwide, and the franchises in our combined portfolio will enable us to create innovative new experiences and bring more players into the excitement of cars and motorsport. Our teams will be a global powerhouse in racing entertainment, with amazing games for players on every platform, and we can’t wait to get started.”
Codemasters plans to remain independent, despite the takeover, and will remain autonomous in how it operates and creates games.
"The acquisition of Codemasters is part of Electronic Arts’ growth strategy focused on delivering more exceptional experiences and top live services, and reaching more players on more platforms around the world," concludes the press release.
"The acquisition of Codemasters is also expected to grow net bookings and underlying profitability for Electronic Arts."