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Ömer Yakabagi

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Nazara Completes $12M Sale of OpenPlay to PokerBaazi’s Parent, Moonshine Technology

Nazara Technologies Limited (NSE: NAZARA), India’s leading Gaming & Sports media platform, has successfully sold its 94.85% stake in OpenPlay Technologies, the operator of the popular Rummy platform Classic Rummy, to Moonshine Technology, the parent company of PokerBaazi. With this acquisition, Moonshine strengthens its position in India’s booming Real Money Gaming (RMG) market, particularly in mobile gaming. By integrating OpenPlay’s Rummy platform into its ecosystem, including PokerBaazi, Moonshine is set to capitalize on the massive demand for real-money, skill-based gaming. As mobile gaming adoption continues to surge, especially in emerging markets, this acquisition positions Moonshine as a dominant force in the RMG industry. Strategic Synergies: What This Means for the Market By leveraging OpenPlay’s technology, marketing prowess, and data-driven expertise, Moonshine expects to Boost player engagement through cross-platform integration. Optimize user acquisition with shared data insights. Enhance cost efficiencies via […]

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$900M Deal: Tripledot Buys AppLovin’s Games

As reported by BusinessInsider, AppLovin, the Adtech Titan, is selling its gaming unit to London-based Tripledot Studios in a $900 million deal, sources tell Business Insider. AppLovin’s CEO Adam Foroughi made it clear: "We've never been a game developer at heart." The company originally acquired studios like Lion Studios, Machine Zone, and Magic Tavern to train its ad-driven AI, but now it’s fully embracing its role as an advertising titan. On February 12, AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi told investors during an earnings call that the company has signed an “exclusive term sheet” to sell all of its apps business. “Seven years ago, we began acquiring gaming studios to help train our earliest ML models, an invaluable step in shaping the AI that underpins our AXON platform,” he said." From the last week: AppLovin Offloads Games: $500M Cash, $400M in Stock AppLovin paid […]

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Saudi Game Studio, Lobah secured $12 million investment

Saudi Arabia’s Lobah just secured a massive $12M investment from the Social Development Bank at Leap 2025 in Riyadh, a bold move that fuels the country's ambitious National Gaming Strategy. Founded by industry veteran Eisa Atawi, Lobah isn’t just making games, it’s building an ecosystem. In January, it launched Lobah Play, a dynamic platform for game publishing, networking, and monetization. With a lineup of ambitious projects in the works—including Kingdom of Letters (trivia), Jackaroo (board game) & Faza (PvP battle royale set in the Arabian Peninsula), Lobah is set to make waves in the mobile gaming space. The Gaming Industry is getting hotter and hotter over there. Saudi Arabia’s Games & Esports industry is a story the world should watch. A Booming Saudi Gaming Scene Saudi Arabia is doubling down on gaming, increasing esports and game development funding by 53% […]

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Miniclip acquired Lessmore, studio behind We Are Warriors and Eatventure

As reported by MobileGamer.biz, Miniclip has expanded its gaming empire, acquiring German hybrid-casual studio Lessmore, creators of Eatventure and We Are Warriors, for an undisclosed sum at the end of 2024. Confirming the deal, Miniclip CEO Saad Choudri praised Lessmore’s rapid growth: "We were incredibly impressed by their ability to prototype fresh game concepts and scale hit titles. This acquisition strengthens our footprint in new gaming categories, and we’re excited to help Lessmore grow its portfolio." Data: AppMagic Lessmore Co-Founder Jeremy Ries echoed the excitement, calling the deal "an important new chapter" that will leverage Miniclip’s expertise to expand their reach. Data: AppMagic According to Appmagic, Eatventure has racked up 69.3M downloads and nearly $28M in IAP since its 2022 launch, while We Are Warriors has hit 36.3M installs, earning close to $10M. This move is part of Miniclip’s ongoing […]

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Mobile Gaming Today: Beyond King & AppLovin

Hei Fam, I gave the newsletter a little makeover, waaay more fun now. Hope you love it 🤟🏻 Seen our latest GOAT Episode? 🐐 Week’s Game 🍭 King’s Candy Crush Solitaire » What Went Wrong? 🦄 More in 2.5 Gamers Pod Gaming Investments 🤟🏻 $100M Fund for Mobile Gaming Studios: Welcome, Arcadia Gaming Advisors 🇫🇮 Finnish startup Seven Stars secures seed round to build Next-gen Puzzle Games 🇹🇷 Turkish Studio Surpass Games Secures $1.5M Pre-Seed from Laton Ventures 🇸🇦 Saudi Social Development Bank backs Esports & Game Dev with $122M 🧩 Hybridcasual Puzzle Rocks: Triple Tap Games secures $1.2M Investment ? 10 Questions That Reveal Investors’ True Colors 💰 More at InvestGame Industry Highlights AppLovin Scandal: New Target of Short Sellers? 💰 AppLovin Offloads Games: $500M Cash, $400M in Stock 🎲 Playtika on $450M in M&A, Skipping AppLovin Bid ⛵ […]

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Benchmarking AI with Super Mario?

Thinking Pokemon was a tough benchmark for AI? Researchers at Hao AI Lab threw top AI models into the Mushroom Kingdom to see who could handle the pressure. Claude 3.7 crushed it, followed by Claude 3.5. Meanwhile, Google’s Gemini 1.5 Pro & OpenAI’s GPT-4o? Struggling like a noob on World 1-1. The catch? This wasn’t your grandma’s 1985 Mario. The game ran in an emulator using GamingAgent, a framework that let AI control Mario by spitting out Python commands. It got simple instructions like “jump to dodge” and real-time screenshots—but no cheat codes. Here’s where it gets wild: AIs built for deep reasoning played worse than their more instinctive counterparts. Why? Overthinking kills. In a game where milliseconds separate a perfect jump from a pitfall, slow decision-making is a death sentence. Gaming has been an AI testing ground for years, but […]

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$100M Fund for Mobile Studios: Akin Babayigit Launches Arcadia Gaming Advisors

Akin Babayigit, co-founder of Tripledot Studios, is back in the game—this time as an investor. The gaming entrepreneur has launched Arcadia Gaming Advisors, a new investment firm armed with a $100 million fund dedicated to mobile game companies. According to sources speaking to Bloomberg, the firm is targeting studios shaping the future of mobile gaming. London Roots & A Familiar Face A Companies House filing confirms Arcadia Gaming Advisors was established in London in December 2024, with Babayigit joined by Orkun Kilic—neither holding a majority stake. While Babayigit has yet to officially announce the firm, Spyke Games CEO Rina Onur Sirinoglu spilled the news on LinkedIn, congratulating her "long-time friend, brother, colleague, and investor." A Power Player in Gaming & Investment Babayigit co-founded Tripledot Studios in 2018, propelling it to one of the UK's top mobile game publishers. The company […]

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Hybridcasual Puzzle Rocks: Triple Tap Games secures $1.2M Investment

Triple Tap Games secures $1.2 million in pre-seed funding led by Eximius Ventures and Kalaari Capital. Mumbai-based Triple Tap Games has raised $1.2 million in pre-seed funding to craft next-gen hybridcasual puzzle games. The studio—helmed by former Crazy Labs & Super Huge Studios veterans—is setting its sights on US and European markets, with plans to expand its team and supercharge its AI-driven content pipeline. Powering Up with Top Investors The funding round was led by Eximius Ventures and Kalaari Capital, alongside influential angel investors from the gaming and entertainment world. The capital will bolster rapid prototyping, data analytics, distribution, and monetization efforts. A Team with Proven Hits Founded in 2024 by ex-Crazy Labs India head Karan Khairajani, Triple Tap Games brings together industry heavyweights from Firescore Interactive, Games2win, Super Huge Studios, and Nukebox Studios. Their track record? 400 million+ downloads […]

AppLovin selling games business to focus on Ad Tech
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AppLovin Offloads Games: $500M Cash, $400M in Stock

Yes, it's still a hot topic. After what? AppLovin Monopoly in Mobile Gaming? AppLovin Scandal: New Target of Short Sellers? AppLovin to Sell Its Gaming Division for $900M AppLovin’s $900M Games Sale: Mystery Buyer, Big Moves & Strategic Shifts Ad Tech Titan AppLovin is offloading its gaming division in a $900 million deal—$500M in cash, $400M in equity—to a still-undisclosed buyer. The acquirer has signed a non-binding term sheet and plans to borrow up to $250M to fund the purchase. If financing falls through, AppLovin will step in with a promissory note. The February 12, 2025 agreement comes with a catch: AppLovin can’t negotiate with other buyers for now. While speculation swirls, one major contender is Savvy Games Group, while public giants like Playtika and Tencent are ruled out. Why the Sale? Despite strong gaming revenue, $1.5B in 2024, up […]

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Brawl Stars: Supercell’s Billion-Dollar Success Story

Source: YLE While game studios worldwide are laying off thousands, Supercell continues to thrive. Since its 2018 release, Brawl Stars has raked in over $2 billion out of 480M Downloads, making it one of the most successful mobile games ever. Data: AppMagic Something Cooler? Something even cooler? Helsinki HQ, Hey Spike! The Secret Behind *Brawl Stars' *Success At Supercell’s Helsinki headquarters, the Brawl Stars team operates like a well-oiled machine. The workspace is filled with game memorabilia, plush toys, and even South Korean cereal boxes featuring Brawl Stars characters—an indication of the game’s global reach. Frank Keienburg, the game’s team leader, attributes their success to continuous innovation. “We update the game every two months, keeping content fresh and players engaged,” he explains. The team, which started with 19 members, now has 64 developers from around the world, proving that diversity […]

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AppLovin Scandal: New Target of Short Sellers?

Are the reports Overblown or Misleading? Maybe, here are the details for you. AppLovin's CEO, Adam Foroughi, dismissed short-seller reports from Fuzzy Panda & Culper Research as “false and misleading,” accusing them of driving down the company’s stock for financial gain. Inflating metrics and tracking users, including children, without consent? Auction Manipulation & Data Exploitation Click Fraud & UX Dark Patterns Targeting Minors & Illegal Tracking Foroughi refuted the claims, stating they contain inaccuracies and insisting the company does not track children’s data or engage in financial misconduct. He emphasized AppLovin’s focus on strategy, cash flow, and share buybacks. Short-sellers profit from declining stock prices, as seen in a recent case involving Roblox. Following their release, AppLovin’s shares dropped by up to 20%. Both Fuzzy Panda and Culper are short AppLovin stock, which means that they have essentially bet the […]

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Claude AI is playing Pokemon on Twitch

Claude, the AI, is taking on Pokémon Red—and it's struggling. Hours into its Twitch stream, the model found itself blocked by a simple rock wall. No matter how hard it tried, walking through solid stone wasn’t an option. The Twitch chat had a field day: “Who would win? A computer AI with thousands of hours of programming, or one rock wall?” Eventually, Claude figured out it could just go around. Watching Claude play is both maddening and mesmerizing. It moves at a Slowpoke’s pace, deliberating every step with excruciating caution. Onscreen, its left side displays an intricate breakdown of its reasoning, while the right shows the game in real-time—turning simple actions into a saga of decision-making. At one point, Claude attempted to find Professor Oak in his lab but got confused by other NPCs in the room. Spotting a character […]

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