Mind-Blowing Deal: Unveiling Xbox's Extraordinary Investment in Ninja Theory

The details regarding Xbox's 2018 acquisition of Ninja Theory have been disclosed as part of the ongoing legal dispute between Microsoft and the Federal Trade Commission. This case revolves around Xbox's ambitious $70 billion bid to acquire Activision Blizzard, the renowned creator of Call of Duty. Despite being announced by Xbox in early 2022, the buyout is still under intense scrutiny by legal authorities a year and a half later.

Before expanding its scope to major publishers like Bethesda and the pending Activision Blizzard deal, Xbox initially embarked on smaller acquisitions of individual development studios. This trend began at E3 2018, where Xbox unveiled five complete studios that would become part of the Xbox Game Studios family. These included Playground Games, Undead Labs, Compulsion Games, and the establishment of a new studio called The Initiative. Additionally, Ninja Theory, the acclaimed creators of the Nordic third-person action adventure game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice, which had launched a year prior, joined this roster. The acquisition of these five studios marked the inception of Xbox's spree of studio acquisitions, which ultimately led to the inclusion of notable names like Obsidian Entertainment, Double Fine Productions, and later on, the entire Bethesda lineup.

Now, amidst the ongoing Microsoft vs FTC battle over Activision Blizzard, and specifically Call of Duty, new information has surfaced about Xbox's bid to acquire esteemed Japanese publisher Sega in 2020. Recently, public access to documents unveiled crucial details, shedding light on Microsoft's proposed offer. Surprisingly, these documents disclose that Microsoft secured the studio responsible for the acclaimed game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice for a mere $117 million USD. At first glance, this might seem like a relatively paltry amount for acquiring a game studio. However, when we take into account that Ninja Theory, the studio behind Hellblade, was a comparably smaller team that managed to deliver such a remarkable AAA title, the seemingly modest investment becomes more understandable.

The recent reveal of a 2024 release window for Hellblade 2 at Xbox's showcase indicates that Xbox's investment in Ninja Theory is paying off. Xbox's first party portfolio has lacked strong, narrative-driven third-person titles for a while, but with Xbox's support, Ninja Theory is poised to fill that gap. In the future, Ninja Theory has the potential to become one of Xbox's top studios. The purchase of this talented studio for only $117 million is already a great deal, and it will be intriguing to see if any additional information about Xbox or its acquisitions will come to light during the ongoing battle for Activision Blizzard between Microsoft and the FTC.

Source: Pure Xbox