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+--- Thread: News - EA buys Titanfall dev Respawn Entertainment for as much as $455M (/thread-83748.html)
News - EA buys Titanfall dev Respawn Entertainment for as much as $455M - xSicKxBot - 11-12-2017
EA buys Titanfall dev Respawn Entertainment for as much as $455M
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="https://www.sickgamedev.win/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ea-buys-titanfall-dev-respawn-entertainment-for-as-much-as-455m.jpg" width="200" height="200" title="" alt="" /></div><div><p>Electronic Arts <a href="http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171109006677/en/EA-Acquire-Respawn-Entertainment">announced today</a> that it’s cut a deal to acquire longtime partner Respawn Entertainment (<em>Titanfall, Titanfall 2</em>) for $151 million in cash, plus as much as $304 million if Respawn hits certain performance milestones through 2022.</p>
<p>This is a big deal, literally and figuratively. It marks the end of Respawn’s seven-year run as an independent venture, which began in 2010 <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/28055/Interview_West_Zampella_Talk_Getting_Back_To_Doing_What_We_Love.php">when the studio was launched</a> by ousted Infinity Ward heads Vince Zampella and Jason West.</p>
<p>In the years following, <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/170802/Most_of_Infinity_Wards_toppaid_staff_jumped_ship_to_Respawn_Entertainment.php">a good chunk of Infinity Ward’s staff</a> made the jump to Respawn to work on the studio’s flagship <em>Titanfall</em> franchise. Though West eventually <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/187709/Jason_West_leaves_Respawn_Entertainment__report.php">left the studio</a>, Zampella has remained a <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/285706/Understanding_Titanfall_2s_action_block_level_prototyping_process.php">lead figure</a> for the <em>Titanfall</em> games, which have been published by EA.</p>
<p>In a <a href="http://www.respawn.com/combine">blog post</a> published to the Respawn website, Zampella stated that he plans to continue running Respawn in addition to his new work as a member of EA’s studio leadership team. He also claimed that work will continue unabated on both the <em>Titanfall</em> franchise and the studio’s unnamed Star Wars project.</p>
<p>“We’ve had success as an independent company but as we look to how we want to compete in the future, and the challenges that face us in a rapidly changing landscape, now is the time for us to combine forces with a global industry leader like EA. While it wasn’t necessary, going with EA made a lot of sense,” he wrote.</p>
<p>“I will still be running things at Respawn and will also be a part of the studio leadership team at EA. There will be no layoffs or major organization changes within Respawn. All games currently in development are continuing as planned.”</p>
<p>The terms of the acquisition state that Respawn will now be a part of the EA Worldwide Studios division, alongside outfits like Motive Studios and Ghost Games.</p>
<p>In addition to the afore-mentioned $151 million in cash up front, EA has agreed to pay “up to $164 million in long-term equity in the form of restricted stock units to employees, which will vest over four years”, as well as more cash (up to a maximum of $140 million) based on “achievement of certain performance milestones, relating to the development of future titles” through 2022.</p>
<p>Incidentally, this news comes less than a month after EA made a public show of <a href="https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/307779/EA_closing_Visceral_Games_and_overhauling_its_Star_Wars_game.php">shutting down Visceral Games</a> and overhauling its Star Wars game.</p>
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