Take-Two buys Codemasters for $1 billion
The company behind hit games like Red Dead Redemption 2, Grand Theft Auto V, and Borderlands 3 is purchasing Codemasters for just north of $1 billion.
UPDATE: In a surprise development, Electronic Arts outbid Take-Two. EA’s offer of $1.2 billion was apparently too tempting to pass up.
The New York-based Take-Two already owns publishers Rockstar Games and 2K Games, along with a number of development studios. Acquiring UK-based Codemasters gives the company a strong stable of racing franchises including F1 and Dirt. Maybe we’ll even see them lend their racing expertise for the driving in the next GTA game?
“We are exceedingly pleased to announce this recommended transaction,” said Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick. “Codemasters has a renowned history of creating some of our industry’s most beloved and commercially successful racing franchises, and we believe that their offerings will be highly complementary to our sports portfolio and enhance further our organization’s long-term growth.”
