Nintendo has announced an agreement with Embracer Group to acquire the Florida-based team Shiver Entertainment.
Shiver, responsible for developing Mortal Kombat 1 and Hogwarts Legacy for the Switch, will soon be acquired Nintendo in a newly-announced deal. In a public statement, Nintendo said the deal involves the ownership of “100% of outstanding shares of Shiver” with the plans to make it “a wholly owned subsidiary.” The overarching aim is to “secure high-level resources for porting and developing software titles”.
Looking forward, Shiver’s focus will “remain the same” post-acquisition; namely, focusing on porting and developing software for “multiple platforms”, including Nintendo’s Switch console. This suggests that Nintendo doesn’t have plans to turn Shiver into a studio solely focused on the Switch, keeping a diverse focus as it moves forward.
In a brief footnote, Nintendo notes that |the Acquisition will have only a minor effect on Nintendo’s results for this fiscal year.” This comes after Nintendo just recently announced its latest financial earnings report, revealing the opening date of the Nintendo Museum in Kyoto amongst other things.
What is Shiver Entertainment?
Founded in 2012 by John Schappert, Jason Andersen, and Jon Osvald, the studio has gained a reputation for porting and developing video game software, having influenced major franchises like Scribblenauts, Need for Speed, Guitar Hero and FIFA.
It was previously acquired by Embracer Group in December 2021 and will now be taken into Nintendo in this latest industry acquisition. This comes after Embracer has embarked on various downsizing measures, including laying off multiple teams to streamline its operations.
The move from Nintendo makes clear sense, with Shiver’s long-standing experience in developing games for the Switch. With rumors already flying about the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, folding in the studio behind bringing two major games to the console Mortal Kombat 1 and Hogwarts Legacy.
Featured image: Avalanche Software