Embracer Group says it is taking a new approach to some of its best-known game properties by exploring outside partnerships that could help revive long-dormant series. The company revealed the plan as part of a broader restructuring effort tied to the creation of Fellowship Entertainment, a new business unit focused on growing major entertainment brands such as The Lord of the Rings and Tomb Raider while also finding fresh opportunities for older gaming IP.
According to comments from Embracer leadership, the company wants to more actively pursue external collaborations involving recognizable franchises including Saints Row, Legacy of Kain, Deus Ex, Red Faction, The Mask, Thief, and TimeSplitters. While no specific projects were officially announced, the statement strongly suggests Embracer is open to letting studios outside its internal network work with these properties. For fans of these series, that alone is a meaningful development, especially after years of uncertainty, canceled projects, and studio closures.
The idea of external partnerships could be especially important for franchises that have struggled to find a stable future under Embracer’s ownership. Saints Row is one of the clearest examples. Once positioned as a chaotic and comedic open-world alternative to Grand Theft Auto, the series has had a rough road in recent years. Its most recent release, the 2022 reboot, failed to generate the enthusiasm needed to restore the brand as a major force in the genre. Reception was mixed, sales disappointed, and the franchise’s future quickly came into question. Those concerns only deepened when Volition, the longtime studio behind Saints Row, was shut down in 2023. Since then, many players have assumed the series had effectively reached the end of the road. Embracer’s latest comments now leave open the possibility that another developer could eventually take a shot at rebuilding it.
Deus Ex is another franchise that continues to inspire strong demand despite a long absence. The cyberpunk action-RPG series has not seen a new mainline entry since Deus Ex: Mankind Divided launched in 2016. That game earned praise for its worldbuilding, stealth mechanics, and player choice, but a direct follow-up never arrived. Over time, Eidos-Montreal was pulled toward other projects, including work on Marvel’s Avengers, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and support duties connected to Tomb Raider. As a result, Deus Ex remained on the shelf.
Interest in the series surged again when Eidos-Montreal and the Deus Ex IP were acquired by Embracer, with many fans hoping the move would finally lead to a new installment. Reports later indicated that a new Deus Ex project had indeed been in development for a couple of years, only to be canceled during Embracer’s sweeping restructuring in 2024. That cancellation was a major blow to players who had waited nearly a decade for the franchise to return. Now, with Embracer discussing partnership opportunities, the door may not be fully closed after all.
TimeSplitters has faced a similarly frustrating history. The beloved first-person shooter series built a passionate following thanks to its fast-paced gameplay, quirky tone, and memorable multiplayer modes. In 2021, hopes were reignited when a new TimeSplitters project was announced with involvement from key original creators at a re-established Free Radical Design in Nottingham. For longtime fans, it looked like the perfect setup for a comeback. But that optimism did not last. During Embracer’s restructuring, Free Radical was shut down in late 2023, and the game disappeared before it could be properly unveiled. If Embracer is now serious about licensing or co-developing dormant IP with outside teams, TimeSplitters could be one of the most exciting candidates for revival.
The broader context here is Embracer’s effort to focus resources on its biggest and most commercially promising brands while still extracting value from its deep catalog. The company has made clear that it sees major potential in The Lord of the Rings/Middle-earth and Tomb Raider, while also continuing to invest in larger franchises such as Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Dead Island, Darksiders, Remnant, and Metro. Several of those properties already have active projects in the pipeline, showing that Embracer is not stepping away from big-budget development. Instead, it appears to be balancing internal investment in top performers with a more flexible strategy for dormant series that still carry name recognition.
That strategy could be smart if executed well. External partnerships can allow publishers to revive franchises without committing the full cost and risk of building every project internally. They can also pair older IP with studios that have a strong creative fit, potentially giving a series a better chance at a successful comeback. Of course, much depends on the quality of the partners chosen and whether Embracer is willing to give those teams the time and support needed to make something worthwhile.
For now, there are more questions than answers. No new Saints Row, Deus Ex, TimeSplitters, or Legacy of Kain game has been confirmed, and there is no release window attached to any of these possibilities. Even so, Embracer’s comments represent a notable shift in tone. After a period defined by layoffs, closures, and canceled projects, the company is at least signaling that these franchises still matter and may yet have a future.
For players who have spent years hoping to see these names return, that hint of momentum is enough to spark cautious optimism. Whether it leads to full revivals or simply exploratory talks remains to be seen, but the possibility of classic series finding new life through outside developers is now firmly back on the table.
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