Respawn Entertainment, the independent game developers studio, made a splash in the gaming world in 2014, having developed 2014’s Titanfall and 2016’s Titanfall 2, and 2017’s Titanfall: Assault, which have nabbed over 100 awards. EA, the company’s publisher, made the announcement today that they will be acquiring Respawn Entertainment.

Having already been partnered with EA as a publisher, Vince Zampella, the CEO of Respawn Entertainment, stated that “While it wasn’t necessary, going with EA made a lot of sense,” on the company’s website. “We felt that now was the time to join an industry leader that brings the resources and support we need for long term success, while still keeping our culture and creative freedom. EA has been a great partner over the years with Titanfall and Titanfall 2, and we’re excited to combine our strengths,” Zampella also says in the official acquisition statement.

Andrew Wilson, the CEO of EA, shared his thoughts on the acquisition of the studio:

We’ve seen firsthand the world-class caliber of Respawn as a development studio with incredible vision, deep talent and an inspiring creative mindset. Our longtime partnership is grounded in a shared desire to push the boundaries and deliver extraordinary and innovative new experiences for players around the world. Together, we’ve brought this to life in the Titanfall franchise, and now with the Respawn team joining EA, we have exciting plans to accomplish even more amazing things in the future.

This comes as a nice move, for EA had just shut down one of their developer studios, Visceral Games, earlier last month. With Respawn Entertainment walking in Visceral’s footsteps, the company will be joining the collective at EA’s Worldwide Studios organization, a global collective of game development studios that bring games to life with the help and assets of both EA and other studios.

Respawn is currently working on a new Titanfall title, and will be working on a new VR gaming experience, as well as the unnamed Star Wars game that was set back after the closure of Visceral Games. The acquisition should not interrupt work flow, and the deal is projected to be finalized by the end of the 2017 calendar year.