News

Animoca Brands begins acquisition proceedings of WePlay Media

The intended acquisition is largely due to the success of the MotoGP™ brand

Date Type Companies involved Size
September 16th, 2022 acquisition Animoca Brands Not disclosed
Animoca Brands begins acquisition proceedings of WePlay Media

Animoca Brands has entered into a Membership Interest Purchase Agreement for the intended acquisition of WePlay Media. The intention was announced at the MotoGP™ Gran Premio Animoca Brands de Aragón event in Spain, which it sponsored.

WePlay Media was established in 2014 by Graeme Warring and Mark DiSimone, in order to develop MotoGP™ Championship Quest. Following the acquisition, COO Warring will continue to lead the brand, driving future MotoGP™ projects such as blockchain title MotoGP™ Ignition, and work with Animoca Brands’ REVV Motorsports team.

Through this acquisition, Animoca Brands hopes to expand its existing relationship with Dorna Sports as an NFT licensor, collectible card provider, sponsor, and blockchain game developer and publisher.

MotoGP™ Championship Quest was launched in 2017, and since then has garnered more than 50 million downloads on mobile platforms, and approximately 1.2 million monthly active users around the globe. The game has proven especially popular with fans of motorbike racing. Last year alone, players took part in more than 68 million races – pushing the total number of races past half a billion, with more than 1.7 million total hours played.

This intended acquisition comes after the annual MotoGP™ Fan Survey identified existing interest and opportunities in gaming. 79 percent of respondents between 16 and 24 played competitively at least once a week. Mobile gaming proved to be particular draw for both female MotoGP™ fans and those in the Asia-Pacific region, with 68 percent and 54 percent, respectively, listing it as their preferred platform.

“This acquisition is an exciting development for WePlay Media and for the MotoGP Championship. Animoca Brands has the ability to reach hundreds of millions of users in core growth demographics to expand the sport’s fan base and create engagement opportunities for the riders, teams and sponsors,” said Warring.

“Our powerful reach in Asia in particular aligns with the largest markets in the world for motorcycle sales and fans.”

Last month, we listed Animoca Brands as one of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2022.

 


Staff Writer

Lewis Rees is a journalist, author, and escape room enthusiast based in South Wales. He got his degree in Film and Video from the University of Glamorgan. He's been a gamer all his life.