EA overtakes Take-Two with $1.2bn offer for Codemasters Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. EA overtakes Take-Two with $1.2bn offer for Codemasters In the dirt. News by Wesley Yin-Poole Deputy Editorial Director Updated on 14 Dec 2020 133 comments EA has offered $1.2bn to buy Codemasters. The Codemasters board has accepted the offer, which is now subject to a shareholder vote. Grand Theft Auto and Borderlands publisher Take-Two was in talks to buy Codemasters, which is based in Southam, Warwickshire, after it had tabled a cash plus shares deal worth nearly $1bn. But EA's offer is an all cash offer of £6.04 for each ordinary share of Codemasters. Codemasters has now switched its recommendation to the EA offer. Watch on YouTube Cyberpunk 2077 launch issues and the good and bad of The Game Awards - it's the Eurogamer next-gen news cast! EA hopes to complete the deal in the first quarter of 2021, but there are a number of hoops the company must jump through before it gets across the finish line. For a start, Take-Two could come back with an improved offer, sparking a bidding war. Take-Two issued a holding statement today, saying it's "considering its position in relation to Codemasters and a further announcement will be made when appropriate". If EA is successful, the deal would bring the UK's racing game powerhouse developer under the same umbrella as Criterion, the developer behind Burnout and Need for Speed. Codemasters develops a number of owned intellectual property, including Dirt, F1, and Grid. "EA and Codemasters have a shared ambition to lead the video game racing category," Codemasters chairman Gerhard Florin said. "The Board of Codemasters firmly believes the company would benefit from EA's knowledge, resources and extensive global scale - both overall and specifically within the racing sector. We feel this union would provide an exciting and prosperous future for Codemasters, allowing our teams to create, launch and service bigger and better games to an extremely passionate audience." Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 10 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store