Journal

Written by our partner, InvestGame. Lately, with financial investors less keen on backing gaming studios, many studios are exploring alternative options—returning to the industry’s roots with publishing partnerships and strategic investors taking the lead. Corporate-led transactions aren’t just funding studios; they’re shaping the industry’s future. Look no further than Epic Games: Disney’s $1.5B investment made headlines, but it wasn’t the only one—Sony and Kirkbi led another massive $2B round. And consider FromSoftware, the creator of the souls-like genre (Elden Ring, Dark Souls series), which has been backed by Sony and Tencent. These deals aren’t just capital injections; they represent strategic, long-term bets on the future of gaming. We’ve tracked this shift for years, but 2024 made one thing clear: corporate-led transactions aren’t just creeping in—they’re taking over private investments in gaming. Over 40% of gaming’s nine-figure deals are now corporate-backed, and we predict that corporate influence will continue growing in […]

Big Fish Games is stepping away from new game development, shifting its focus to running and monetizing its existing live titles. The move comes as part of a major restructuring by its parent company, Aristocrat Leisure, which is scaling back investment in the studio’s portfolio. No Sale, No New Games After putting Big Fish and Plarium on the market last year, Aristocrat found a buyer for Plarium—Sweden’s MTG scooped it up for $620M. But Big Fish? No takers. Instead, Aristocrat held onto the studio’s social casino games and is now reshaping its business. The company is also retiring its Pixel United reporting segment, replacing it with Product Madness, which will now house Big Fish’s operations alongside its core slots business. Leadership Shake-Up As part of the shift, Superna Kalle, Aristocrat’s chief strategy officer, will take the reins of Product Madness, […]

Just after 3.5 years. Jam City is cutting loose its Montreal-based studio, Ludia, selling it to a consortium of Canadian institutional investors in a deal currently under review by the Canadian Competition Bureau. The price tag? Still under wraps. A Jurassic Exit The sale includes Ludia’s full game catalog, home to mobile hits like Jurassic World: The Game, Jurassic World Alive, and Ninja Turtles: Legends. Despite the shake-up, Jam City claims the move won’t disrupt its core business, as its biggest successes come from casual narrative and puzzle-style games. A Quick Flip The deal comes less than 3.5 years after Jam City acquired Ludia for $165M, backed by a $350M funding round as part of its ambitious—but ultimately scrapped—plan to go public at a $1.2B valuation. Now, Ludia is being sold off. "If the sale is approved, we’re committed to […]

Autogun Heroes developer Nitro Games delivered a standout year in 2024, with revenue surging 29% to €11.4M ($12.3M) and EBITDA skyrocketing 241% to €2.4M ($2.6M). Net profit more than doubled, hitting €475K ($495K), up 114% YoY. Q4 Snapshot: Revenue: €3M ($3.2M) (+5.3% YoY) EBITDA: €556K ($578K) (-29.3% YoY) Net profit: €78K ($82K) (-74% YoY) Nitro Games credits its success to an expanding game portfolio—including Autogun Heroes, NERF: Superblast, Warframe Mobile, and an upcoming Netflix project—along with tight cost control. The studio also highlighted growing demand for cross-platform titles, particularly those with mobile support. "All-Time High" CEO Jussi Tähtinen emphasized the studio’s momentum:📈 €9.4M in new B2B orders & partnerships🔥 Profitability sustained despite market challenges🎯 Expanding shooter/action brands across platforms "Looking at our history, this isn’t a one-off—it’s a logical next step. We stayed profitable throughout 2024 while investing in future […]

Newly formed UK-based digital board game developer and publisher Meeple Corp has raised £500,000 ($629K) in pre-seed funding to accelerate its mission of bringing tabletop games to digital platforms. Founded by former Marmalade Game Studio senior programmer Matt Hilson and ex-Electric Square game designer Harri Elmer, Meeple Corp partners with publishers to digitize board games. Its debut title, Kingdomino Digital, is set to launch later this year. Investors include Hiro Capital, The Mini Fund, and industry angels. Hiro Capital co-founder Ian Livingstone praised the team, stating that the investment supports their vision to create top-tier digital board game experiences. CEO Matt Hilson emphasized the company's goal of expanding game communities and advancing technology to offer fresh experiences for board game fans. Source: PocketGamer