In one of the biggest stories to emerge from the video game world in recent times, Electronic Arts have completed their takeover of developer Codemasters. The deal represents the biggest shakeup yet to the F1 game series, which has been produced by Codemasters since 2009. The F1 game's recent success hadn't gone unnoticed as at the end of 2020, rumours began to emerge of EA’s interest in potentially acquiring Codemasters outright. EA have enjoyed huge success in the gaming world, most notably of all with another sport-based title - FIFA. Takeover plans were approved by the Codemasters board at the beginning of February, and were not derailed by supposed interest from 2K Sports franchise owner Take Two. “This is the beginning of an exciting new era for racing games and content as we bring together the talented teams of Electronic Arts and Codemasters”, EA CEO Andrew Wilson announced in a statement. “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”. While the F1 game was most likely the main driving force behind EA’s decision to acquire Codemasters, that isn’t the only title that the developer brings to the table. Other notable games that they are responsible for include DiRT, GRID and Project Cars. Frank Sagnier, CEO of Codemasters, was similarly enthusiastic about the partnership's potential moving forwards. “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 network," Sagnier added. “Together we can redefine the landscape of racing games to create even more compelling experiences for racing fans around the world." EA does have a good track record when it comes to developing games with an automotive theme, as they are the driving force behind the successful Need for Speed game franchise.
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