Video game publisher 2K announced today that it will acquire HB Studios, alongside striking a long-term exclusive partnership with golfing legend Tiger Woods.
The Novato, California-based publisher, is well-known for its massively popular WWE franchise and its NBA 2K series. HB Studios is based in Nova Scotia, Canada, and the developer of popular golf titles such as PGA Tour 2K21 and The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour.
In addition to the HB Studios takeover, 2K also penned an exclusive, multi-year contract with Tiger Woods. No financial details of either transaction were made public.
“I am looking forward to making my return to the video game landscape, and with 2K and HB Studios, I’ve found the right partners to make it happen,” said Tiger Woods. “I’m honored to take part in this opportunity and look forward to sharing my expertise and insights as we build the future of golf video games together.”
Speaking about the deal, 2K President David Ismailer said his company acknowledges the success of HB Studios’s golf titles, such as The Golf Club 2019 featuring PGA Tour; and PGA Tour 2K21. PGA Tour 2K21, which was released last year, has been a huge success, shipping nearly 2 million units to date.
“We have an incredible foundation to build on, and acquiring HB gives us the opportunity to optimize our relationship with them between a publisher and a developer into our independent studio structure,” Ismailer says. “But it also lets us invest more into their resources by building out more resources in Canada and the United States. And that lets us build more engaging features for the game as we think about the future.”
Following the deal, Woods, will have his name and likeness in the upcoming releases of PGA Tour 2K. Furthermore, the 45-year-old golfer, who won the PGA Tour Player of the Year for the 11th time, will also be taking the role of executive director for the game and serve as a consultant for the development team. 2K, however, didn’t make any announcements whether the franchise will bear Tiger Woods’ name.
“We’re not ready to make any announcements regarding the title or direction of future entries in the PGA Tour 2K franchise just yet, but we look forward to sharing more details when the time is right,” a 2K spokesperson commented.
Founded in 2000, HB Studios focused on sports games development for all platforms. The first title released by the studio was Cricket 2002, followed by FIFA, Madden NFL, and NBA Live.
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