The company Pearl Abyss will no longer own CCP Games. It has announced that it is selling the studio back to its management.
EVE Online
In a report to the South Korean regulator, Pearl Abyss stated that it will earn $120 million from the sale. This is likely much less than what it originally paid for the creators of EVE Online in 2018. At that time, media reported that the purchase cost Pearl Abyss $425 million, although the company itself did not disclose the deal's value.
As Pearl Abyss explained, it decided to part ways with CCP Games after thoroughly considering its long-term strategy. Ultimately, the company concluded that it would be more beneficial for both teams to operate independently.
Despite everything, Pearl Abyss and CCP Games will "retain the possibility for cooperation" in the future.
The deal is expected to close as early as next week — on May 6.
An interesting point: last summer, there were already rumors online that Pearl Abyss was considering selling the creators of EVE Online. CCP Games itself did not comment on these rumors, while Pearl Abyss did speak to the media, albeit with a somewhat vague response. It stated that it regularly reviews its strategy to enhance competitiveness but had not made any decisions related to CCP Games and could not announce anything at the time. It is not ruled out that the company indeed began considering the sale then and has only now finalized the agreement.