Bigben picks up French dev Eko Software for €8.5m

Bigben Interactive, publisher of the WRC series as well as the likes of Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter and Flatout 4, has purchased French developer Eko Software for €8.5 million (£7.55m).

The purchase is a full controlling stake, taking 100 per cent of shares and voting rights in Eko through the investment. The price is split between 65 per cent cash and 35 per cent newly created Bigben shares, valued at the current rate as of the purchase. Closing is set to take place in October.

Alain Falc, chairman and CEO of Bigben, said:"This acquisition is another milestone in Bigben’s strategy as it strengthens our know-how in the development of new games in the strategic AA segment. Bigben is also proud to welcome to its Group the talents of Eko Software which we have already fully appreciated during our many years of partnership. We will be supporting their upswing towards new, even more ambitious projects, with the goal of reiterating the experience of the million copies sold of How to Survive.”

Bigben has had a working relationship with Paris-based Eko for a while now, with the developer creating the Handball games – popular in Germany – for the publisher, as well as the How to Survive action-RPGs. The studio was already at work on Warhammer: Chaosbane under the Bigben banner before the purchase was announced.

The purchase follows other Bigben acquisition this year of Cyanide, as well as its increased investment in Kylotonn Racing.