Investment News
Argentina studio Agonalea Games raises $2m to shake up tower defence genre
Investor Mika Games backs studio and its hybridcasual title Punko.io
Deal Tracker
Show Me The Money: Scopely acquires Niantic's games business for $3.5bn, and Tencent invests $1.25bn in Ubisoft in March 2025
Our deal tracker highlights the key acquisitions, investments, and partnerships from the last month
Indian Investment
Krafton acquires controlling stake in Nautilus Mobile for $14 million
JetSynthesys will remain a significant minority investor
Publising Deal
Skystone Games takes US publishing rights for Mobile Legends as TikTok ban looms
ByteDance has been forced to relinquish publishing rights to the MOBA and Marvel Snap by US lawmakers
M&a
DoubleU completes $30m Paxie Games acquisition
Purchase sees South Korean developer take a 60% stake, with the remaining share to be purchased over the next three years
Partnership Deal
Scopely to make game based on CD Projekt IP
Polish developer has worked on The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077
Pokemon Property
Pokémon Go won't get obtrusive ads or sell location data after $3.5bn Scopely acquisition, product director confirms
"That is not happening in Pokémon Go - not now, not ever."
Arts And Acquisitions
Perforce acquires Snowtrack with closed beta launch for digital artists
Global launch is expected to follow later in 2025
Dealing With Data
Sensor Tower acquires Video Game Insights to expand into PC and console data
Video Game Insights tracks over 150,000 titles on Steam and recently expanded into Xbox and PlayStation
Hot Five
Hot Five: Scopely acquires Pokémon Go and more for $3.5bn, Wuthering Waves hits $250m on mobile, and Sonic Rumble’s reasons for delay
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Acquisition Accomplished
Scopely acquires Pokémon Go developer Niantic's games business in $3.5bn deal
Blockbuster deal brings the multi-billion-dollar hit mobile game under the Savvy Games Group umbrella
Deal Tracker
Show Me The Money: Jam City agrees Ludia sale, Scopely's rumoured $3.5bn Niantic deal, and MTG acquires Plarium in February 2025
Our deal tracker highlights the key acquisitions, investments, and partnerships from the last month
Hot Five
Hot Five: Goddess of Victory: Nikke hits $1bn, Pokémon Go spikes to 2025 high, and AppLovin's shock buyer
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Investment News
Triple Tap Games secures $1.2m for hybridcasual puzzle games
The team is led by former Crazy Labs and Super Huge Studios staff
M&a
Jam City completes Ludia sale
Approximately 130 staff will remain at the developer, while a small number will stay with Jam City
Funding For Games
Finnish startup Seven Stars secures seed round to build “next-gen" puzzle games
Spintop Ventures and Behold Ventures co-led the investment with Sisu Game Ventures
New Partnerships
The9 and Qing Cheng partner to dominate China’s lower-tier mobile games market
The9 will hold a 51% stake in the joint venture while Qing Cheng will own 49%.
Hot Five
Hot Five: Jam City to sell Ludia, Scopely could acquire Pokémon Go, and Last War hits $2bn
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Selling Up
Jam City agrees deal to sell Ludia
If approved, the sale isn’t expected to have a significant impact on Jam City’s business operations
Big Deal
Niantic reportedly in talks to sell Pokémon Go and games business to Scopely for $3.5bn
The deal isn’t finalised, according to people familiar with the matter, but could be officially announced "in coming weeks"
M&a
MTG completes $620m acquisition of Raid: Shadow Legends developer Plarium
Deal could see a further $200m in earnouts
Partnership Deal
Curve Games signs three-game mobile deal with Crunchyroll
Publisher to bring Space Crew, Patch Quest and 10 Second Ninja to subscription service Game Vault
Dream Deal
Playtika completes acquisition of Dice Dreams developer SuperPlay
The deal could be worth up to $1.95 billion, depending on SuperPlay’s performance in the next three years
Finding Funds
Embracer to contribute $423 million towards Asmodee’s near $1bn debt repayment
Funds will change hands provided Miniclip’s Easybrain acquisition is successfully completed
Ready To Raid
Modern Times Group acquires Raid: Shadow Legends maker Plarium for $620m
Plarium generated $613m in revenue during the 12 months ending September 30th, 2024
New Offerings
Kakao Games partners with Lionheart Studio for triple-A MMORPG game codenamed Project Q
The upcoming game will launch for PC and mobile next year
Hot Five
Hot Five: Supercell’s first CMO departs, Unity 6 goes back to basics, and Azra Games raises $42.7 million
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
New Offerings
NetEase and Marvel Games to launch new RPG mobile Game Marvel Mystic Mayhem
Prepare to peek into the “deepest fears" of Captain America, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch
New Partnerships
Xsolla and Uzbekistan's IT Park sign deal to open game development academy in 2025
The academy will focus on training local talent and fostering new opportunities for game production
Reunion Revealed
Humble Games partners with its laid off ex-employees at Good Games Group
Former general manager Alan Patmore and global publishing VP Mark Nash are at the new publisher’s helm
Brand Boost
Vivid Games secures $1.36 million strategic investor deal to grow Real Boxing brand
The Polish developer seeks to grow Real Boxing’s presence in Europe
Portfolio Power Up
52 Entertainment welcomes "millions of new players" through Blackout acquisition
The casual games dev behind Word Search Quest and Bubble Shooter Rainbow joins 52 Entertainment’s portfolio
Organic Opportunities
Empire Games will function as "new external team" after Huuuge Games investment
Huuuge sees potential in Empire to contribute to its organic growth
Signed Deal
Tencent’s Lightspeed LA studio signs SAG-AFTRA deal to work with striking members
Developer can now employ performers from the organisation for current and future projects
Ai Acquisition
GiantX acquires League of Legends AI coaching app maker iTero Gaming
The app, launched in late 2022, has been downloaded almost 250,000 times
Billions Buyout
Keywords Studios sells for £2.1 billion in £24.50-per-share EQT buyout
The deal concludes the company's recent $145.8 million M&A strategy and it will now be acquired itself
Acquisition Ahead
CyberAgent to acquire NitroPlus in $104 million deal
Digital advertising firm and games publisher will support new subsidiary's efforts for global IP expansion
The Web3 Way
Animoca Brands and Everest Ventures Group partner to cross-invest in upcoming Web3 projects
New products and games are on the way from both companies this year
Hot Five
Hot Five: Disney x Fortnite, Sega’s sonic speed, and a potential Keywords Studios buyout
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Microsoft's Might
Microsoft saves the day: Activision Blizzard games are set to return to China in new NetEase deal
The untimely end of Activision Blizzard and NetEase’s deal meant that games such as Overwatch and World of Warcraft have spent over a year offline in China
Something To Sell
Embracer to sell Borderlands dev Gearbox to Take-Two in $460m deal
Gearbox games from Borderlands and Homeworld to Duke Nukem will fall under Take-Two’s possession
Partnership Power
Marblex partners with CARV to deliver data-driven Web3 experiences
Netmarble’s blockchain company Marblex to be elevated by CARV’s data capabilities
Acquisition Expansion
The Collective Ace Group and By Aliens take on the world with latest acquisition
By Aliens joins The Most Games and Odspeed Games under The Collective Ace Group’s expanding global umbrella, bringing more than 70 games into the fold
Publishing Power
Nitro Games strikes Autogun Heroes publishing deal with Unity’s Supersonic
Autogun Heroes originally launched in 2023 with Nitro Games as developer and publisher
Mtg Manoeuvre
MTG pulls the trigger on a Monumental Kongregate acquisition
The two studios will join with MTG taking 30% of the new company which will be led by Monty Kerr, current Monumental CEO
Digital Deal
Nitro Games receives further €3.5 million to continue Warframe mobile development
Digital Extremes’ popular IP turns 11 this year with a mobile version on the way
Acquisition Ahoy
Keywords Studios acquires The Multiplayer Group for £76.5M
Keywords has bought The Multiplayer Group from its former owner Improbable following interest in "blue-chip client base"
Partnership Power
Sony sets sights on mobile in strategic partnership with NCSoft
A strategic deal has been secured by CEOs Taekjin Kim and Jim Ryan
Mobile Mavens
Mobile Mavens: One month on, what next for Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard?
A month ago today Microsoft closed it’s deal and with no immediate upsets was it all a storm in a teacup? Or 28 days later, is the apocalypse imminent? We ask the experts…
Saudi Foresight
Animoca Brands partners with Saudi Arabia in $50M deal to bring Web3 to NEOM
The future of NEOM just got a Web3 update