Hypercasual game studio Yayy closes

Lebanon-based developer and publisher Yayy has ceased operations.

The former hypercasual mobile games studio had employed 25 staff, including the founding team. The company was known for several titles including Dodge Agents and Stunt Drifts. The studio operated with two offices in Beirut and Abu Dhabi.

CEO and founder Ziad Talge blamed market shifts and challenges around self-publishing in the region as reasons for the studio’s closure.

“Yayy’s closure was definitely a gradual one," Talge told PocketGamer.biz. “The market shifted significantly, and we kept adapting to stay alive as long as it made sense. 

“But over time, we found ourselves morphing into a service company instead of building the product company we had always envisioned.

“Our core mission from day one was to Make Local, Sell Global, and when that no longer aligned with reality, it became clear we had to pivot." 

He added: “While it was a successful journey in many respects, the limitations around self-publishing from our region ultimately made it unsustainable."

A new venture 

Following the decision to shut down Yayy, Talge has co-launched MyLuigi alongside AI and cloud solutions veteran Sukhdeep Johar and raised $125,000 in funding. MyLuigi operates as an AI-powered game growth-as-a-service platform aimed at helping mobile game studios scale “without adding headcount". 

“It’s actually a year-old idea that we couldn’t fully pursue while Yayy was still running," said Talge. “Once we shut Yayy down, we finally had the clarity and bandwidth to bring Luigi to life. In many ways, it’s the solution we always wished we had as a studio ourselves.”

MyLuigi automates user acquisition, engagement, and monetisation through a platform that handles ad campaigns, creative optimisation, LTV forecasting, and personalised offers.

“There’s still room for creativity, of course, but it’s more focused and grounded," he added. “In many ways, Luigi feels more like a business, while game development often felt like crafting experiences and pursuing your hobby or your passion project.”