Rage 2 Co-Developer Acquired In A "Historic Deal"

Avalanche Studios, the Swedish developer known for Just Cause, Mad Max, and Rage 2, has been acquired. Entertainment company Nordisk Film has purchased all of Avalanche's shares in what Avalanche is calling a "historic deal."

Nordisk Film had already acquired a minority stake in Avalanche last year, and the company is now paying a further EUR 89 million to buy out the remaining shares. This is reportedly the "single largest acquisition" in Nordisk Film's 111-year history.

Nordisk Film boss Mikkel Weider said in a statement that Avalanche impressed the company in part due to its "world-class team" and a company culture that matches up with Nordisk's own. "It also has a unique foundational technology, exciting new titles in development and a strong IP in the The Hunter franchise."

The Hunter is Avalanche's lesser-known but very popular hunting series of video games. According to Avalanche, Nordisk Film will not meddle with Avalanche's main directives. "Avalanche Studios' strategy will remain unaltered," the developer said. What this means is Avalanche will continued to operate as an independent unit, create new games, and more.

Avalanche, which was founded in 2003, has 320 employees across its offices in Stockholm and New York City. Earlier this week, Avalanche opened a third studio in Malmo, Sweden. Founders Christofer Sundberg and Linus Blomberg are staying with Avalanche in the wake of the buyout.

Nordisk Film has already made significant investments into gaming, as it's put money into studios like Flashbulb Games, Kogama, and Reto Moto, among others through its Nordisk Film Games label. Outside of games, Nordisk has partnered with movie giants like DreamWorks, Lionsgate, and others to distribute their movies in parts of the world.

Avalanche's current project is Rage 2, which it is co-developing with id Software. The game is due to launch in 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.