Acquisition
AppsFlyer acquires data analytics company devtodev
The move bolsters AppsFlyer’s offering of analytical tools
Acquisition Achieved
Modern Times Group takes 100% ownership of PlaySimple
Modern Times Group has seen a successful 2023 and goes from strength to strength with this latest deal
Stock Purchase
Tencent acquires two million shares in Goddess of Victory: Nikke makers Shift Up
Subsidiary Aceville spent ₩79.9 billion on the purchase following Wemade divesting itself of all Shift Up shares
Market Moves
Merger and acquisition deal value exceeds $11 billion for 2023
Some of the biggest names in gaming restarted their acquisition strategies in Q3
Acquiblizz
Microsoft's Xbox boss Phil Spencer sticks to Call of Duty non exclusivity promise
"We have no goal of somehow trying to use Call of Duty to get you to buy an Xbox console."
Hot Five
Hot Five: Azur Games and Metacore acquisitions, hybridcasual hype, and Niantic’s new star
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Acquisitions
Azur Games to acquire portfolio of US hypercasual game publisher Tastypill
The publisher’s portfolio boasts more than 1 billion downloads
Acquisition
Pole to Win’s SIDE acquires Star Trek: Fleet Command audio studio Vibe Avenue
PTW is a significant force in game localisation and other areas
Hot Five
Hot Five: Unity’s new CEO, Applovin rumours, and the biggest deal in games industry history is complete
Our quick-fix roundup of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Acquisition
Metacore to acquire Merge Mansion and Clash of Clans animators studio Piñata
The animation studio is Metacore’s first acquisition and will serve to bolster their creative abilities
Acquiblizz
Microsoft and Activision Blizzard: The complete timeline
From inception to lawsuits - how has the biggest deal in gaming history progressed?
Acquisitions
Xsolla acquires Lightstream, Rainmaker and API.stream in big third-party assets round-up
The three assets were all acquired from previous owner Videndum
Runtime Rumour
AppLovin may make a second attempt at buying Unity, rumours suggest
Unity’s Runtime Fee backlash has led to a 40% drop in shares
Disney Acquisition
Disney CEO Bob Iger is considering the acquisition of a major publisher
Disney is one of the world’s best known entertainment brands, may be on the brink of a major gaming acquisition
Acquiblizz
Microsoft hopes to close its Activision Blizzard deal as early as October 13
The long-running saga may finally be coming to a close
Acquisition
Modern Times Group acquires Pocket Gamer Award winner Snowprint Studios
Snowprint Studios are behind the strategy title Warhammer 40,000: Tacticus
Playtika Acquisitions
From Wooga to Innplay Labs: Inside Playtika’s shopping spree
The Israeli gaming giant has made a number of high-profile acquisitions. Here's the list from start to finish
Acquisition
Playtika closes acquisition of Innplay Labs
The acquisition was valued at up to $300 million
Acquisition
Xsolla announces acquisition of multiplayer platform AcceleratXR
The acquisition will further Xsolla’s crossplay capabilities
Acquisition
Supercell acquires majority stake in Australian developer Ultimate Studio
The acquisition is key in Supercell's aim to expand beyond mobile
Acquiblizz
The CMA gives Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard its provisional approval
The UK's competition watchdog has long been the largest remaining hurdle in the deal's way
Acquisitions
Roblox acquires Finnish AI voice moderation start-up Speechly
The company specialises in real-time voice moderation tech and other tech such as real-time transcription
Acquisition
Playtika set to acquire Innplay Labs for up to $300 million
The acquisition includes an $80 million upfront fee
Hot Five
Hot Five: Mystic Games gets blunt about blockchain, YouTube Playables roll out, and Candy Crush dethroned
Our quick-fix round up of the hottest stories on PocketGamer.biz
Acquisition
Is Jagex in line for its sixth new owner in a decade?
The RuneScape developer has been the subject of numerous acquisitions with the next set to be its highest value purchase yet
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
Humble Games
Humble Games aims for studio acquisitions and in-house development
Executive vice president Alan Patmore outlines their future plans with mobile likely in the pipeline
Week That Was
Week in Views - What caught our eyes in the last seven days
The Pocketgamer.biz team take their pick of this weeks big news including the rebirth of a legend and the creation of a new genre
Acquiblizz
Microsoft’s Phil Spencer stresses the importance of mobile in Xbox’s future success
The Xbox boss claims that Xbox needs mobile presence to thrive
Gaming Market
The gaming industry saw $1.2 billion in investments and M&A in 2023’s first quarter
It's not great news for mergers and acquisitions as investments hit their lowest point since 2018
Acquisition
Behaviour Interactive acquires Dutch developer Codeglue
The acquisition is Behaviour’s third European expansion in the last six months
Acquiblizz
Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kottick clarifies his company's position in the latest deal twist
With Microsoft cutting their cloud gaming titles adrift, what does that mean for Activision Blizzard?
Acquisition
Sega officially welcomes Rovio to its family of studios
However, there are still several stages to go before the deal is finalised
Monopoly Money
The biggest gaming acquisitions of all time
From Activision Blizzard and Zynga to Bethesda and Playdemic
Acquisition
InMobi acquires consent management platform Quantcast Choice
The acquisition comes amid a growing push for stricter privacy regulations worldwide
Tech Investment
Telltale power up their storytelling skills with Flavourworks acquisition
The UK company's unique video technology will become part of Telltale's future projects
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
Financials
Playtika latest results show decreases in revenue & paying users
The company previously halted all further development on new titles in favour of concentrating on their existing portfolio
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
Tencent Acquisition
Tencent acquires visual novel company Visual Arts
The move follows the company’s acquisition of Techland earlier this week
Stocks
EA and other video game stocks see big boost as M&A fever creeps in
Shares are trading ‘in sympathy’ with Microsoft and ABK as the AquiBlizz saga looks set to close
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
Competition Authority
South African authorities unconditionally approve Activision Blizzard acquisition
Another win for Microsoft despite home-grown struggles
Sonic Speculations
Microsoft acquiring Sega? Rumours get extinguished by COO Shuji Utsumi
The Federal Trade Commission’s suit against Microsoft reveals notions of acquiring Sega… Which went precisely nowhere
Documentation
Zynga, Playrix and Niantic were all potential entries on Microsoft’s shopping list
News comes as part of the revelation Microsoft considered buying Sega
Acquiblizz
A US judge has blocked Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard
Despite being approved around the world, the biggest acquisition in gaming history still faces significant hurdles
Deal Disruption
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard sued by FTC
The Federal Trade Commission aims to block the acquisition sooner rather than later
Exclusive Interview
Zynga’s Yaron Leyvand talks Take-Two, the games industry, and their secrets for success
We catch up with Zynga's executive vice president of mobile games, one year on from Take-Two’s acquisition
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