Electronic Arts has announced that it has reached an agreement to buy Formula 1 video game developer Godmaster for $ 1.2 billion.
Codemasters have created each of the last 12 F1 games from 2009 to the current season, each entry adding depth to the gaming experience.
In a statement on Monday, Codemasters president Heckard Florin confirmed the deal: “Electronic arts and codemasters have a shared mission to lead the video game racing genre.
“The Codemasters team firmly believes that the company benefits from EA’s knowledge, resources and comprehensive global reach – both within the industry as a whole.
“We think this union will provide an exciting and prosperous future for Godmasters, allowing our teams to create, launch and serve great and great games for a very interested audience.”
The deal is expected to close in the “first quarter of 2021”, and the titles DRT, DRT Rally, Grid and Project Cars, along with F1 titles, will be signed by E.A.
EA’s most recent F1 title was the ‘F1 Career Challenge’ in 2002, which allowed players to complete a four-year short career in the 1999-2002 season.
Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, added: “We believe there is a deep compelling opportunity to bring together Godmasters and Electronic Arts to create exciting and innovative new racing games for fans.
“Our industry is growing, the type of racing is growing, and together we will be leading a new era of racing entertainment. We have for many years appreciated the creative skills and high quality games of the codemasters.
“Through EA’s technology, platform expertise and global access, this combination will enable us to grow our existing owners and provide industry-defined racing experiences to a global fan base.
“We are delighted to have our Board of Directors recommend this transaction, and we look forward to welcoming such an amazing and talented team to the Electronic Arts family.”