Square Enix Eyes Eidos

While it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Lara Croft has plenty of suitors, these days it’s getting hard to keep track of ‘em all. Earlier this week, we reported that Eidos (formerly SCi Entertainment, was rumored to be in buyout talks with a couple of potential big publishers. Originally, the word was the EA and Ubisoft were the major players bidding for the company behind the Tomb Raider and Hitman franchises. Now, MCV is reporting that Square Enix has swooped into formation right alongside the other publishers circling Eidos.

Square has made no secret as of late that it’s trying to do more to appeal to Western audiences, breaking out of the niche market it carved for itself. Recently, Square Enix global president Yoichi Wada took a trip to IO Interactive, the Eidos owned developer responsible for both the Hitman and Kane & Lynch franchises. It’s not clear if Square is eyeing IO specifically, planning to make an offer for the development studio or if it’s looking to take Eidos under its wing, lock, stock, and barrel. Either way, Square Enix has a ways to go before to reach the finish line in the Eidos race.

Currently, as we reported previously, the frontrunner in the potential Eidos takeover still has to be Warner Bros., which already owns a sizeable chunk of Eidos. Add to that, Warner was already cleared earlier this year to purchase more stock in the ailing publisher, well ahead of a deadline that previously restricted Warner from increasing its stake in Eidos. This means that, in theory, Warner would have the advantage of not needing to buy out its own shares.

So, who’s going to ultimately be Lara Croft’s date to the big video game ball? Your guess is as good as anyone else’s right now. Still, with all the names in play at the moment, it’s a safe bet Ms. Croft won’t be going stag. We’ll keep you updated as the situation develops.