Video Games

Embracer Group Shutting Down Onoma, the Studio it Acquired Just Months Ago

Embracer Group will close Onoma just months after its acquisition, with some staff moving to sister studio Eidos Montreal. bloomberg report. The closure will affect approximately 200 employees.

Formerly known as Square Enix Montreal, Onoma was acquired in August along with the remainder of Square Enix’s former western holdings.

The move is likely to be a cost-cutting move, as Eidos Montreal reportedly plans to reduce the scope of one project and cancel another, according to Bloomberg. Microsoft is reportedly helping develop games for the Fable franchise, but it’s unclear if it’s functioning as a supporting studio for Playground Games’ Fable project. This seems like a deal for Crystal Dynamics to co-develop Perfect Dark with the Initiative.

CDE Entertainment, an Embracor-owned group made up of assets acquired from Square Enix, sent the following statement: GI.Biz From Director Phil Rogers:

With the opportunity to form the 12th Operations Group within Embracer, we have big ambitions for Crystal Dynamics and Eidos-Montréal. We see growth opportunities around our major franchises and AAA games. Closing Publishing QA and Onoma Studios is a difficult decision, one made with the utmost care and consideration. We deeply appreciate the contributions of these team members over the years and hope to find as many suitable placements as possible.

Founded in 2011, Onoma was best known for the critically acclaimed Go series of mobile games including Hitman Go, Lara Croft Go and Deus Ex Go. Also through his London studio he was working on Avatar: The Last Airbender mobile MMO.

Onoma was one of many studios acquired during the acquisition of Embracer Group, which also included rights to various Lord of the Rings media properties and more. IGN has reached out to The Embracer Group for a statement and will update as necessary.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s Senior News Editor and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Any tips? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.

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