EA acquires Metalhead Software – creators of Super Mega Baseball – as it continues to expand sports roster

EA has acquired the Canadian developer Metalhead. The studio is known for its popular Super Mega Baseball franchise. And is the latest in a series of moves to expand its portfolio of sports-related titles.

The value of the deal was undisclosed.

Founded in 2009 by Scott Drader and Christian Zuger, the studio is a single-franchise operation, having created three iterations of Super Mega Baseball, which now sees releases on all major platforms. The games have seen critical acclaim and have an ardent fanbase.

A statement suggests that the team will continue working on the franchise, while also expanding to new titles: “The Metalhead team will continue to work out of their Victoria, BC studio while partnering with the global EA SPORTS team to expand the Super Mega Baseball franchise as well as deliver new and engaging entertainment and sports experiences.”

The move comes as EA has entered seemingly a more expansive phase, after many years of focusing its strategy on a small number of tentpole franchises. This purchase comes after the acquisition of Codemasters, along with the F1 brand amongst others, and EA’s recent move back into both golf and college (american) football, after taking a number of years off from both areas.

“We’re all players of Super Mega Baseball, and we’ve long admired the work of the Metalhead team. It’s a unique and beloved franchise among sports gamers – the balance and depth of gameplay, and the unique style of the content, makes it super fun to play with friends. We look forward to supporting and investing in the team so they can continue to build out more amazing games that delight sports fans around the world,” said Cam Weber, EA Sports EVP and GM. “EA SPORTS continues to expand, and we’re deeply excited to create more unique and interactive experiences that blur the lines between sports and entertainment.”

“Our team has worked hard over the years to refine a formula that uniquely mixes an arcade style with deep on-field gameplay and innovative co-operative and competitive multiplayer experiences,” said Scott Drader, co-founder of Metalhead Software. “In this next chapter, we’re excited to leverage EA’s power and reach to bring our titles to a broader audience and to take some ambitious next steps in the development of our future titles.”