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
Acquisition
Playtika closes acquisition of Innplay Labs
The acquisition was valued at up to $300 million
Acquisition
Sumo Group acquires UK developer Midoki to boost live service skills
The Tencent subsidiary has picked up the Knighthood developer for an undisclosed sum
Acquisition
Behaviour Interactive acquires Dutch developer Codeglue
The acquisition is Behaviour’s third European expansion in the last six months
New Partnership
Remote Control Productions and AUCTUS Capital Group partner to form Prestiged Gaming Group
The group aims to create a "powerhouse" of established gaming companies with creative independence
Monopoly Money
The biggest gaming acquisitions of all time
From Activision Blizzard and Zynga to Bethesda and Playdemic
Investments And Acquisitions
Haveli Investments acquires minority share in Match Masters developer Candivore
The acquisition comes at a cost of $100 million
Revelations
Savvy Games unmasked as Embracer's mystery partner in deal collapse
Axios Gaming's Stephen Totilo has enough evidence to point the finger
Birds Of A Feather
Sega to finalise Rovio acquisition next week
Sonic and Angry Birds to be one big family as Sega takes 96.3% of shares
Partnership
Xsolla partners with AppsFlyer to streamline cross-platform data-driven insights
The companies are combining forces in order to better serve their clients
Partnership
Reactional Music and Amanotes announce new partnership
The partnership aims to bring music and gaming closer than ever before.
Acquisition
Playtika acquires Azerion's Youda Games portfolio for upwards of $89.1 million
Azerion is selling the portfolio as part of its business refocus with an earnout agreement potentially pushing the price even higher
Deals
Is the Kahoot deal an endorsement of edtech & party games, or a move to private for mobile?
The multiplayer quiz title is used widely in educational settings
New Acquisition
Lightspeed Studios acquires developer Lucid Games
Lucid is best known for its game Destruction AllStars
Acuiblizz
FTC to appeal against the judge’s decision in Microsoft case
A San Francisco judge denied the regulatory body’s preliminary injunction against Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Scopely Acquisition
Savvy Games Group closes acquisition of Scopely
The acquisition highlights mobile’s place in Saudi Arabia’s games strategy
Deal Disruption
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard sued by FTC
The Federal Trade Commission aims to block the acquisition sooner rather than later
Teaming Up
Activision Blizzard piles in to support Microsoft’s CMA appeal
UK regulator to face Microsoft and Activision Blizzard together in cloud gaming appeal
No Deal
Embracer loses out on $2bn deal at the eleventh-hour
The deal, according to CEO Lars Wingefor, was in the verbal agreement stage before being unexpectedly scuttled
Creating Connection
BebopBee raises $4 million in funding to inspire "real-world connection" through mobile game brands
Investment from Bitkraft Ventures, Courtside Ventures, Andover, Goal Ventures and more
China Chimes In
China approves Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition
Yet another approval counter to the UK’s decision
Film & Tv
Mobile hit Space Marshals to become an animated series
A new deal with developers Pixelbite includes both a TV series and movie
New Partnership
SuperAwesome and Yoti announce new partnership
The duo are integrating their services to help keep young gamers safe
Deal Diary
Sega & Rovio: Four key dates to watch
The deal isn't out of the woods yet. Here are the important moments to pencil into your calendar
Acquisition
Sega + Rovio: How did we get here?
Now that Sega is acquiring the Angry Birds developer, we retread the steps both parties took towards the big deal
Pending Deal
Sega to snap up Rovio for $1 billion?
Will Sonic join forces with the Angry Birds?