- Co-founder and former executive at Embracer, Matthew Karch, who now serves as the head of Saber Interactive, shared his views in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, suggesting that the holding receives excessive criticism.
- Karch mentioned that the number of layoffs at Embracer isn't disproportionate compared to other major companies. He also highlighted Embracer's CEO, Lars Wingefors, as someone who prioritizes retaining jobs whenever possible, and emphasized his genuine concern for the gaming industry.
- Karch also confirmed that Embracer's two billion dollar deal with Savvy Games Group, a Saudi Arabian investment firm, fell through in May 2023. This had not previously been officially disclosed.
- Karch notes that Embracer didn't really need the deal, but he says the market at the time required rapid and significant expansion. So the holding company decided to try the agreement, hoping it would bring more financial stability to the company.
- Karch agrees that Embracer had too high hopes for the Savvy Games Group deal, and during the lead-up to it, some of the holding company's divisions put their operations on hold instead of looking for partners on their own.
- However, now, according to Karch, Embracer's management has managed to rectify the situation.
- Embracer completed the restructuring process in March: as part of it, the holding company closed three internal studios and laid off more than a thousand employees.
