Don’t look now! While you were busy getting hyped for the imminent release of id Software’s newest Doom game, one of the major investors in id parent ZeniMax online has begun shopping it’s stake in the company. According to information leaked by popular financial advisory Bloomberg, via their Bloomberg Technology website, ” people with knowledge of the matter” said that Providence Equity Partners are ‘exploring options’ related to their investment in ZeniMax Media Inc. Providence Eqiuty Partners is a private equity firm focused on technology, media and telecommunications which owned roughly 25% of ZeniMax Media as of 2007.
Bloomberg reports that “the buyout firm has held talks with banks about what to do with its stake in the developer and distributor of video games, including a possible initial public offering or a sale, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.” ZeniMax owns several incredibly popular development studios including id Software(Doom), Arkane Studios(Dishonored), Tango Studios(The Evil Within), BattleCry Studios(BattleCry), Machine Games(Wolfenstein), Bethesda Software(Elder Scrolls & Fallout), and ZeniMax Online(Elder Scrolls Online). According to Bloomberg, the business could be “valued at as much as $2.5 billion”.Their latest blockbuster frachise Doom will be out this Friday, May 13th, 2016.
This does not indicate that a final decision has been made and Providence may decide to retain the company. But when considering the total value of ZeniMax, Providences share would be worth at least $625 million, leaving only a select choice of investors from within the gaming industry able to afford it. It also must be said that ZeniMax “would probably draw interest from other private equity firms” as well.