Services giant Keywords Studios has bought The Multiplayer Group (MPG) from Improbable.

The deal is setting back the industry giant back by £76.5 million ($96.97 million) and comes over four years after the SpatialOS maker acquired the multiplayer specialist. The price Improbable paid at the time was undisclosed.

The Multiplayer Group has worked with some of the biggest companies in games, including Activision, Bethesda and Epic.

“We are thrilled to welcome the MPG team to Keywords. MPG is a business that we have long admired for its high-quality work, blue-chip client base, deep experience in developing triple-A multiplayer games and its use of technology and data analytics," Keywords boss Bertrand Bodson (pictured) said.

"This is another important step in building out our platform and expanding our offering to encompass specialised multiplayer game development at scale, which is increasingly in demand for live services. We believe that MPG complements our existing high-quality UK and global Create studios and are excited to bring them into the Group. We look forward to working with Andy and the wider talented MPG team over the coming years to continue to drive growth in the business.”

Multiplayer Group CEO Andy Norman added: “MPG has found success in the multiplayer space through passion, expertise, and customer-driven collaboration. We have seen strong growth over the past few years, working on some of the most complex and successful games in the market, supported by our dedication to a sustainable, people-first culture. With Keywords, we believe we can continue to lead and grow multiplayer innovation, bringing the MPG ethos to more customers and games. We look forward to working closely with Keywords and driving growth both in MPG and across the enlarged Keywords’ group."