Report: ZeniMax Acquires Starbreeze Founder's New Studio MachineGames

It seems that Bethesda Softworks parent company ZeniMax Media may have added another feather to its video games cap as Gamasutra relays reports that it has snapped up MachineGames, the new studio of Starbreeze founder Magnus Hogdahl.

Following a rumour of the acquisition on Twitter earlier this week, a dig in Swedish business records for ZeniMax found MachineGames listed under 'ZeniMax Sweden.'

MachineGames was created, Gamasutra notes, by Hogdahl and other "key members" of Starbreeze, the studio which developed The Darkness and The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. Machine has no announced projects but describes itself as "a developer of exciting AAA titles for next-gen platforms" on its website.

ZeniMax announced only last week that it had bought Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's new studio Tango Gameworks, following October's news that it had secured $150 million in investment to fund fruther expansion. Previous acquisitions have included id Software, Arkane Studios, the Fallout property and the rights to Prey.

Shacknews has contact ZeniMax for comment.