Italian studio 34BigThings, the developer behind the Redout racing games and Carmageddon: Rogue Shift, is independent again after cofounder Valerio Di Donato acquired full ownership from Embracer, the studio announced on June 23 2026. The Turin based developer will be led by Di Donato, fellow cofounder Giuseppe Enrico Franchi, and new chief financial officer Daniel Giagnorio. The purchase price was not disclosed.

The move makes 34BigThings one of the larger independent studios in Italy once more, and it adds another name to the long list of teams that have left Embracer's orbit over the past three years.

Who is 34BigThings and what have they made?

34BigThings grew into an acclaimed European developer of more than 70 people during its six years inside Embracer. Its catalog includes the futuristic Redout racing series, the action title Mars or Die, and Otto, alongside the recent Carmageddon: Rogue Shift. Di Donato credited Embracer's stewardship for giving the studio structure and stability, and for a firsthand education in balancing internal development against the demands of external stakeholders.

That last phrase is the polite version of a harder truth. Being a small studio inside a sprawling holding company means your fate is tied to spreadsheets you do not control.

Why would a studio want out of Embracer?

Embracer spent the past three years unwinding one of the most aggressive acquisition sprees in gaming after a roughly 2 billion dollar deal collapsed in 2022. The fallout included the sale of Gearbox in March 2024, the sale of Arc Games and Cryptic Studios in October 2025, and a fourth round of layoffs at Eidos Montreal in March 2026 that cut 124 people. The group also split itself into separate public companies, spinning off Coffee Stain and then Fellowship Entertainment by April 2026, and shrank to about 6,090 employees by the end of March 2026.

For a studio with its own ambitions, buying back independence during that kind of turmoil is a rational bet on itself. Franchi was blunt that the reacquisition was driven by the growth and direction the founders wanted, independent of any conversations Embracer may have been having about offloading the studio.

What is the studio planning next?

34BigThings teased that later in 2026 it will announce a major title built on what it called one of the most important and beloved intellectual properties in the world, with another major title already scheduled in its production pipeline. That is a bold opening statement for a freshly independent team, and it suggests the founders did not walk away empty handed.

My read is that this is the healthier end of the Embracer breakup story. Where Gearbox and others were sold off in distress, 34BigThings is buying itself back on its own terms with a stacked roadmap and a licensed property in hand. Independence is risky for a 70 person studio in a brutal market, but it beats waiting to find out whether a Swedish holding company decides you are worth keeping.

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