Nacon Buys Hamburg-based Developer and Publisher Daedalic

French publisher and gaming accessory maker Nacon announced on February 16, 2022 that it would acquire Hamburg-based Daedalic Entertainment for 53 million euros, the largest acquisition in Nacon's history. The news was reported by Gamecity Hamburg, the city's games industry initiative, on February 17, 2022.

Daedalic, founded in 2007, is positioned as a cornerstone of Hamburg's games industry. It first built its reputation on in-house adventure games such as Edna & Harvey: The Breakout and the Deponia series, and more recently became a recognized name in indie publishing with titles including Unrailed!, Partisans 1941, Witch It, and Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun. The studio employs more than 80 people in Hamburg.

The two companies already had a working relationship. Nacon was co-publisher of Daedalic's anticipated adventure The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, then scheduled for release in 2022. Under the deal, founder and CEO Carsten Fichtelmann and COO Stephan Harms will remain in charge of the company, indicating continuity in management and an intact Hamburg base.

The announcement closes with an optimistic note on the new opportunities the transaction may create for Daedalic and the wider Hamburg games industry. The coverage is brief and news-oriented, with no financial analysis beyond the purchase price, and it reflects the local ecosystem's perspective on consolidation by a larger European publisher.