EA Acquires Racing Game Specialist Codemasters

Oh, dear... 🙄
Very Cut Throat DLC and Expansion Packs from EA.
We will be milked to dry.

RIP Codemasters, it was a good run.

Will we get more Dizzy games? 😜

So who is taking bets on how long they have left to live?

Well, DiRT, you had a good run.... probably.
I only ever played DiRT 3.

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

RIP Code masters.

@Anti-Matter But what if we want to be milked to dry?👀👀

So much for good games from Codemasters.

Farewell, Codemasters.

Another one bites the dust!

Watch dirt become a new need for speed v rally

Oh Danny Boy, the pipes the pipes are calling.

@nessisonett "But what if we want to be milked to dry?👀👀"

I was going to say something else here but im pretty sure it could have got me a ban 😂😂

Disgusting news !!!!

Codemasters has a very rich history now they get reduced to helping EA churn out soulless Need for Speed games until they basically cease to exist like what happened with Criterion.

How long until EA ***** them down??

F in the chat boys.

Absolutely love the Dirt series!! I pray it continues onward!!

Why, oh, why would they agree to this?!

Oh, right... $1.2 billion smackers...

Still...

How long before they get shut down, do you recon?

Thats just sad news😥

Well, guess I'm going back to Mario Kart and Forza.

Hmm so anyone want to bet how long codemasters will continue to exist before it broken up by EA?

Looking on the bright side, at least they no longer have the Star Wars licence,

Goodbye Codemasters.

Can't spell dEAth without EA.

If the f1 continue to be made by codemasters, I'm fine with it as long as they don't force microtransactions on things that are not cosmetic.

I feel sorry for those about to lose their jobs. Best of luck Codemasters

Such a shame, most likely signed the eventual closure of the company there, but they’ll do a BioWare to them first and destroy their reputation

Terrible. EA runs studios into the ground. Look at Criterion, Viseral, Ghost games, etc...

A very sad development. Why on earth would code masters agree to this? 😱

RIP. Sad, very sad.

@SalvorHardin Let's be honest though, even before the buyout Codemasters have always completely ignored their history. It's mad they never put out any proper retro complications on the consoles.

I'm concerned EA won't let The Oliver Twins use the Dizzy license anymore though or would charge them too much. Codemasters seemed to have a gentleman's agreement with them along the lines of "do what you like with it as we're not using the licence"

So by aquire they mean they'll go the route of Maxis and Bullfrog? Destroyed.

This is a very sad day...

EA rots and destroys everything it touches... unfortunately.

Welcome to the family.

RIP Codemasters, pick your plot.

hahaha
As magneto once said:
"Welcome to die!"

After Grid EAs acquisition probably means they’re isn’t much chance of future titles coming to Switch

A sad day for games development in the UK, and gamers generally.

@RaphaBoss ha ha.
In F1 if you pit for fresh tyres, micro transaction required (£1 per Tyre)

We need Sensible World of Soccer now for the switch!

As a racing game fan and a supporter of independent game companies this news makes me very very sad...

@EVIL-C
I expect the current owners wanted out and it was an opportunity to make themselves very wealthy.

@6thHorizon I guess EA knows money talks. SAD

@Anti-Matter Nintendo do that enough as it is.

Welcome to the family? You mean welcome to the graveyard is a more accurate description.

Really enjoyed this years F1 game. Will be interesting to see if there are any noticebale changes to the next version.

I wonder if the people at EA ever look at these kinds of comment sections and remain proud of themselves regardless of whether or not they think they're doing such a bad job.

Codemasters just reminds me of Dizzy, shame EA will destroy their reputation now

Another company to be destroyed by EA.

I find buying the goodwill of a company gross. Not sure I can say it any more succinctly.

Feels like full circle, aren't half of Codemasters' employees disgruntled ex EA games employees? I hope EA treats them right.

In all honesty over the past decade since Codemasters stopped making any original games and solely became a developer and publisher of racing games they stopped being a creative team and focused on what was making them money. Nothing wrong with that but at the same time they have ignored their huge catalogue of games that they were probably never going to do anything with. They will probably get named EA England or something soon.

Can't wait for the article in 5 years time!

"EA Shuts Down Racing Game Specialists Codemasters"

RIP Codemasters, it was good while it lasted.

@Clyde_Radcliffe since Codemasters switched ownership a decade or so ago they only became focused on making racing games as they were their biggest money makers. Since then they were different because in the past Codemasters always at least tried to make original games even if they were rough around the edges.

Can’t wait to see how they implement “All stars” rubbish in formula 1, probably get loot box crap just to have DRS and KERS!

@Zenszulu Who was the new ownership? Yeah they've basically been EA during the past decade anyway.

@Zenszulu Yeah you could see a big change in them about a decade ago, I think they peaked with games like the original Grid and Dirt 2. After that it seems like they just pumped out more generic sequels, and as you said they stopped making anything but their most successful racing games.

Aww. I have fond memories of the Operation Flashpoint series. I’d assumed that franchise was dead, but now I’d guess it’s really, really dead.

RIP Codemasters

This is sad news for one of the greatest developers of racing games. Also, I'd like to point out that Codemasters did not make Project CARS.

Bad news for the F1 fans out there. Codemasters seemed to be improving year on year and apparently provided a decent game for eSports as well. Unlikely that their love of getting into the detail of F1 will be allowed to continue.

I'm expecting yearly repackages, and then once in a while a real trash game so they can "improve" again after that.

Anyone less cynical about EA than I am who can add some positivity?

@EVIL-C a cool $1.2b

It's easy to say no you wouldn't accept when it's fantasy. That's a hell of lot of money and the share holders were never gonna turn that down and I don't blame them. The developers at codemasters would have also got a nice pay packet from this. I honestly don't blame them at all when you are talking that kind of money.

EA aren't too bad these days. Their games aside from FIFA and NBA have been great value for money, and they are creating original titles for Switch and other platforms - with one literally announced this direct. They've been a big supporter of crossplay and are releasing Apex Legends on Switch.

I would even say that they are less greedy than Nintendo themselves are.

@kobashi100

That was meant as a sort of rhetorical question. Yes, 1.2B is an insane amount of money. In the interest of the medium, It's still sad to see EA devour another independent studio.

This is very sad news, I’m a big fan of Codemasters and love Grid and Dirt.

Hope nothing changes but we all know it will and from EA’s track record it will be for the worse.

@Clyde_Radcliffe they were purchased by an equity group in 2007 or 8 and since then they have had multiple different CEOs since then they have had multiple companies buying shares and a few have had majority ownership for a while so they kept their focus on what was making them money.

They are going to run the Dirt franchise into the...dirt (sorry)

Enjoy your last few years Codemasters. F

oh no! another development studios for EA to kill, why Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo you dint buy Codemaster to not suffer under EA nefarious grasp.

@Arnold-Kage 2024/2025 is sadly the death/shutdown of Codemaster or sooner then this.

Farewell, Codemasters. We had a good time. Every good thing has come to an end.

Need for Speed Dirt confirmed.

Lol.

I'm joking, but this is pretty much what happened to the Burnout series when EA bought Criterion

Get GRID autosport before EA butchers it to become free to play IAP crap.

I think this will increase the value of Xbox Game Pass that already incudes EA games. Xbox will also encourage EA to produce good racing games. I'm kind of surprised Xbox hasn't bought EA outright yet, but maybe they don't need to. I'm kind of hungering for Xbox to buy out Ubisoft and CD Projekt Red to save those companies from their own mismanagement.

o7 we had a good run

@Giancarlothomaz

Seems about right ^^

"Okay guy, from now on you're making Need For Speed."

Do we really need a single company owning that many racing game franchises?

@CheapCheepBeach
Well, if you ignore the borderline unlawful in-game monetization practices in FIFA and Madden, then sure, EA is "less greedy" than Nintendo.

EA ruins everything.

Oh my..., Business are Business, We like it or not.
But, yes, I know as is EA, and, well..., Bye Codemasters, soon you will are with Maxis, DSI (original EA Canada) and Criterion games (and EA Redwood) only as good memories...

@Alpha008 I predict Codemasters Cheshire (Evolution) to be shut down around the time the ink on the contract dries. Followed by about one studio shut down (or merged in a restructuring) per year after that. Hope EA proves me wrong.

@Ryu_Niiyama I’ll bet 1,000 purple rupees, they’re gone in under 2 years

@Realness I think the pandemic will give some operating padding. Nobody can afford to burn money right now. I say 4 years. Unless EA just wants the franchises they made... still I will stick with 4 years.

I’m adding 10 gold rupees to raise your bet.

Does this mean F1 games stop coming out on Steam?

Codemasters aren’t the racing games force they once were. Look at Dirt 5 ! That was horrible !

@Ryu_Niiyama I felt I was being generous with my two year mark. Although, your guess does seem more realistic. The EA factor makes me assume the worst. I’ll stick to my guns. Two years and I’m coming to collect those additional 10 gold rupees too.

Another one bites the dust.