EA confirm Codemasters takeover ahead of F1 2021 release

EA have added Codemasters to their huge umbrella of game developers, which will be interesting news for fans of Formula 1. 

Early 2021 has consisted of some major back and forth between potential buyers of Codemasters.

At one stage, it did look as if Take-Two – owner of Rockstar Games, of course – looked in pole position with negotiations – before backing out on February 9.

Deal done: EA acquires Codemasters

Just nine days later, EA made the announcement that a deal to purchase Codemasters had been finalized.

On Twitter, they posted: “We’re excited to welcome Codemasters to the EA family!

Codemasters weren’t just responsible for the Formula 1 game, of course, as the studio is also behind the success of Project Cars, Grid, and Dirt.

“This is the beginning of an exciting new era for racing games and content as we bring together the talented teams at Electronic Arts and Codemasters,” said Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts in a press release from Business Wire.

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“Racing fandom continues to grow worldwide, and the franchises in our combined portfolio will enable us to create innovative new experiences and bring more players into the excitement of cars and motorsport. Our teams will be a global powerhouse in racing entertainment, with amazing games for players on every platform, and we can’t wait to get started.”

This news had been in the pipeline for some time and fans have been speculating about what it could mean for each of their major titles. This is a major acquisition for EA, who will now assume the license for some of the biggest racing franchises around.

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Frank Sagnier, CEO of Codemasters, also said: “Today is a landmark in Codemasters’ history, and an exciting day for our employees and players. The partnership with EA will enable our teams to take our highly-acclaimed franchises to new heights and reach a huge global audience through their player network. Together we can redefine the landscape of racing games to create even more compelling experiences for racing fans around the world.”

For EA Play subscription holders, it may be just a matter of time before some of the classic titles from Codemasters appear as part of that membership as well. More information is likely to be posted on their social media accounts in the coming days, so stay tuned.