Industry giant Motorsport Games announces the addition of rFactor 2 franchise and developer to its lineup.
Photo credit: rFactor 2 on Steam
Racing game publisher and Nasdaq-trader Motorsport Games announced on March 3 the acquisition of rFactor 2 developer Studio397 alongside the simulation platform itself. The studio will retain its brand name and continue work on the game, but also be an active part of forthcoming projects by Motorsport Games. So far, the industry giant has entered a binding agreement guaranteeing the acquisition, while an exact date of its closing has not been revealed yet.
A proven duo joins forces
Studio397 and Motorsport Games are not two strangers being bound together. The global company and eNASCAR operator has been a vital part of rFactor 2 events in the past. Both the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual 2020 race and the have ABB Formula E #RaceAtHome Challenge 2020 been executed by Motorsport Games. With no changes to its existing development and management team, the acquisition of Studio397 is treated as a simply logical step by both collaborating parties. Stephen Hood, President of Motorsport Games, describes it as just that:
We have been working with the team at Studio397 for a long time on both game development and esports. This is an acquisition that, when completed, makes complete sense for all parties and we are delighted to have them agree to join the Motorsport Games family.
An even better racing simulation?
For sim racers, one question looms over any acquisition of a developer: What does this mean for our beloved racing game? In the case of rFactor 2, Motorsport Games’ CEO Dmitry Kozko has an assertive answer:
Securing rFactor 2 and the expertise behind will be a huge advancement for us. We will bring our experience and knowledge to help maximize the potential of the rFactor 2 platform while also having exclusive access to its best-in-class technology for our future projects.
According to Kozko, the company will continue to use its resources to “aggressively pursue [its] goals” – which sounds like good news for racing gamers. The agenda is also visible in recent announcements by Motorsport Games, like the acquisition of karting simulation KartKraft from developer Black Delta. Besides that, there have been announcements of forthcoming games based upon the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship. The upcoming acquisition of Studio397 therefore seems like another puzzle piece for exciting future projects by the esports giant.
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