Social First acquires in-game item marketplace GamerPay

• New investment aims to improve user experience, security and trading features.
• GamerPay brings trusted marketplace infrastructure to support Social First’s player-driven economies.
• The deal aligns with a shared vision for fair, transparent, real-value item trading.
• Social First plans to expand the platform beyond Counter-Strike 2 to more games.

Finnish studio Social First has acquired real-money marketplace for in-game items GamerPay for an undisclosed sum. 

The marketplace will remain fully operational, with accounts and listings unaffected, while Social First plans to improve the platform’s features and user experience through new investment.

GamerPay aims to bring its trusted marketplace tech and community to Social First, supporting the studio’s push toward secure, player-driven in-game economies.

A new chapter 

GamerPay said its approach is focused on providing security and transparency to item trading while creating new revenue opportunities for studios and publishers.

Currently focused on Counter-Strike 2, the platform has ambitions to expand its services to other games. Valve recently shook up the CS2 skins trading marketplace with in-game changes that knocked nearly $2 billion off the market.

“Since day one, GamerPay has been about creating trust and transparency - making it safe and simple to trade digital items of real value,” said GamerPay co-founder Morten Byskov. 

“Joining Social First marks an exciting new chapter. They share our belief in building a marketplace that extends beyond just CS2 and aligns with our vision of a fair, player-first economy. Most importantly, they share our values when it comes to caring for players and our community. 

“Together, we can bring that philosophy to even more games and players worldwide. I’m incredibly proud of what our small team has built, and even more excited to see GamerPay grow into something bigger under the Social First umbrella.”

Social First CEO Kim Soares commented: “We’re proud to welcome GamerPay under the Social First umbrella and continue its mission of providing secure, trusted trading for players.

“We’re excited about the opportunities this unlocks for our Nexus Station players but also of course the opportunities for secure, real-world value in gaming in general. 

“The GamerPay platform can be expanded into comprehensive Direct-to-Consumer payment services, and we aim to build it into a service any game company can use for providing in-app purchases to their customers outside traditional storefronts.”