News

Social casino giant Playtika acquires Pearl’s Peril dev Wooga

German studio finds a buyer after self-proclaimed 'tough two years'

Date Type Companies involved Size
December 3rd, 2018 acquisition Playtika
Wooga GmbH
Not disclosed
Social casino giant Playtika acquires Pearl’s Peril dev Wooga

Social casino games giant Playtika has purchased Berlin-based developer Wooga.

The acquisition is part of Playtika’s plans to expand further into the casual games space. Previously, the Israel-based firm picked up Jelly Button Games in October 2017.

A deal for Wooga means that half of Playtika’s portfolio is now made up of casual titles.

Wooga's journey

The publisher said it plans to help accelerate Wooga’s growth. The German studio is most famous for titles such as Pearl’s Peril and June’s Journey. It currently employs 180 staff with a focus on story-driven casual games in the puzzle and hidden object genres.

Wooga has previously admitted itself that it has had a ‘tough two years’. Following layoffs and restructuring to focus on certain genres, the company returned to profitability in 2017.

Wooga CEO Jens Begemann (pictured, main) will continue to lead the studio following the acquisition.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We see great opportunities for Playtika in the casual games genre and our acquisition of Wooga firmly positions us for this next phase of our evolution,” said Playtika CEO Robert Antokol.

“Playtika’s strengths in implementing live operations, advanced AI and performance marketing at-scale will serve as a global springboard for Wooga’s creativity in ideating and developing winning story-led titles.

“Together we’ll bring audiences worldwide a whole new level of game experiences that never cease to captivate and amaze. The Wooga team is driven and passionate, has strong leadership and we’re thrilled to have them join the Playtika family.”

Begemann added: “This is an amazing day for Wooga. Becoming part of Playtika is opening the next chapter in the history of our company.

“It is a very natural fit for both parties: we have the expertise in creating and launching story-driven casual games, Playtika has the technologies to help us scale and reach new audiences to continue our growth.”

Playtika itself as acquired by a Chinese consortium in 2016 for some $4.4 billion. The group outbid a rival offer of $4.3 billion from South Korean publisher Netmarble.

At the start of the year Playtika opened up a $400 million warchest to invest in companies around the world.


Head of Content

Craig Chapple is a freelance analyst, consultant and writer with specialist knowledge of the games industry. He has previously served as Senior Editor at PocketGamer.biz, as well as holding roles at Sensor Tower, Nintendo and Develop.