With this acquisition, the Southeast Asia-based esports organization and its esports properties are now part of Netherlands-based Team Liquid, which is eyeing the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) scene following the announcement of its arrival.

Team Liquid wants to expand its presence in MLBB following success in other popular games

STUN.GG was home to top-tier esports teams AURA and ECHO which will now be under Team Liquid. With the acquisition of the same, the newly named teams will be Liquid Echo and Liquid Aura, competing in both the MPL and MDL leagues, with the former already updating the info on its official social media platforms.

Speaking about the acquisitions, AURA Esports is known for its participation in MLBB Indonesian tournaments for over five years now. On the other hand, ECHO has been a popular name in the Philippines Esports scene, being the winners of the 2023 edition of the Mobile Legends M4 World Championship and MPL-PH Season 11 before finishing second in MPL Invitational (MPLI) 2023.

Team Liquid has been a popular name when it comes to Esports dominance, having teams across popular games such as League of Legends, PUBG Mobile, and so on, and now, they have another one added to their list. With successful teams under it now, we shall need to see how their performances go.

Read other related articles-

• Monumental confirms acquisition of American-based mobile game developer Game Circus
• CVC Capital Partners acquires British developer Jagex with Haveli Investments
• Disney invests $1.5 billion to acquire equity stake in Epic Games
• Phoenix Games announced the acquisition of the Canadian developer Sad Panda Studios

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Expanding Global Footprint with the Acquisition of PopReach Games

The acquisition not only enhances Phoenix Games’ portfolio but also fortifies its global presence, especially with the inclusion of PopReach Games’ dedicated team from its studio in Bengaluru, India. With over 100 employees, this addition brings a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to the Phoenix family, promising to elevate the gaming experiences of titles such as Smurf’s Village, Smurf’s Magic Match, and Gardens of Time, among others.

By integrating PopReach Games into its fold, Phoenix Games aims to leverage its proprietary Uplift platform to boost the financial performance and market reach of the acquired titles. This strategic enhancement will involve intensive user acquisition efforts, optimized ad monetization, and robust live operations, ensuring that these beloved games continue to thrive under their new management.

Strategic Growth and Enhanced Game Offerings

Klaas Kersting, CEO of Phoenix Games, expressed excitement about the acquisition, highlighting the significant addition of both a talented workforce and a suite of acclaimed IPs. “This acquisition marks a pivotal moment in our growth strategy, bringing not just exceptional talent into our team but also expanding our game portfolio to include titles that have captivated millions globally,” said Kersting.

This acquisition is part of Phoenix Games’ ongoing strategy to expand its global influence and operational capabilities across the gaming industry. By continuously seeking opportunities to bring additional studios and their popular titles under its umbrella, Phoenix aims to maintain its position as a powerhouse in the gaming sector, delivering high-quality entertainment to players around the world.

Read more interesting gaming news:

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The Game Circus acquisition becomes Monumental’s second deal of the year

Monumental is a game studio that makes gaming experiences for both PC and Mobile. The developer boasts a diverse portfolio of mobile games, including titles like Little Alchemist: Remastered, Mythgard, and Storm Wars, with the latter two being card-collecting games.

Founded in 2010, Game Circus is a company from Dallas, Texas, dedicated to crafting mobile games mostly catering to the casual and puzzle genres, such as the Coin Dozer series, Cookie Dozer, Merge Zoo, Prize Claw, and Taps to Riches. With a user base spanning hundreds of millions worldwide, the deal with Monumental will only look to boost their work.

Donnie Thompson, Chief Executive Officer of Game Circus, expressed delight at the deal. He said: “We’ve been very pleased with our partnership with Monty and his very talented team at Monumental. Together we believe we can take our games to new heights and look forward to collaborating to delight our players in new ways.”

With this, Monumental has completed two acquisition deals this year, and it is only February. Earlier this month, Modern Times Group (MTG) announced the signing of an agreement enabling Monumental to acquire Kongregate, known for their online games as well titles such as SpongeBob’s Idle Adventures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT): Mutant Madness, and others.

What are your thoughts about Monumental confirming the acquisition of American-based mobile game developer Game Circus? Let us know in the comments below!

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In recent years, Jagex has expanded its capabilities through strategic acquisitions, including Pipeworks and Gamepires in 2022, thereby enhancing its cross-platform offerings and bolstering its expertise in cultivating dedicated fan communities.

Jagex enjoyed a hugely successful 2023, with record subscribers for its various titles

The company’s successes continued into 2023, marked by record subscriber numbers for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape, as well as the strengthening of its partnership with Gamepires in anticipation of the forthcoming launch of Scum on PC and Console platforms in 2024.

CVC Capital Partners, a prominent private equity firm headquartered in Luxembourg, brings its extensive experience and resources to support Jagex’s growth trajectory. With a diversified portfolio spanning various sectors, including global sports entities like the IPL Team Gujarat Titans, LaLiga, and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), CVC is well-positioned to nurture fan-centric businesses on a global scale. Leveraging its expertise, CVC aims to facilitate Jagex’s sustained subscriber and revenue growth while upholding its community-driven ethos and expanding its portfolio of enduring gaming titles.

Meanwhile, Haveli Investments, based in Austin, Texas, is known for its focus on partnering with innovative companies and management teams. Through its Gaming Fund, Haveli has made strategic investments in notable gaming entities such as Omeda Studios, Behaviour Interactive, and Candivore. Jagex’s acquisition adds to Haveli’s portfolio of forward-thinking gaming ventures, aligning with its commitment to supporting innovative initiatives within the industry.

Previously under the ownership of Carlyle, Jagex’s acquisition marks a new chapter in its journey, building upon past successes while capitalizing on the combined expertise and resources provided by CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments.

With a shared vision for driving growth and fostering community engagement, the partnership aims to further solidify Jagex’s position as a leading force in the gaming industry, creating lasting experiences for players worldwide.

What are your thoughts as CVC Capital Partners announced the acquisition of the British developer Jagex in collaboration with Haveli Investments? Let us know in the comments below!

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Iconic Disney characters will set to come alive with the touch of Epic Games

It is well known that Disney and Epic Games have connected with millions of players through Fortnite collaborations and events like the Marvel x Fortnite Collaboration, and Marvel Nexus War with Galactus to name a few. Not to forget, Epic’s very own Unreal Engine is used across Disney’s portfolio and aids in game development, cinematic editing, and theme park attractions.

The collaboration video was short to my liking, but boy, didn’t it just hype me for what’s coming. The upcoming universe will merge Disney’s iconic brands, offering various opportunities for play, shopping, and engagement while also enjoying characters and stories from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, Avatar, and more. So fans like me can create their own experiences, express fandom, and share content, all powered by Unreal Engine.

Both the CEOs of the companies have expressed delight in the collab. While Robert A. Iger, CEO of Disney, envisions the creation of a transformative gaming and entertainment universe that merges Disney’s iconic brands with Fortnite, Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, acknowledges Disney’s early belief in the potential of uniting their worlds with Fortnite, emphasizing on the establishment of a new, persistent, and inclusive ecosystem alongside Disney.

Overall, I can confidently say that things are going well for Epic Games. They recently won their long-standing legal battle against Google, with the jury ruling that the Google Play Store is an illegal monopoly while Fortnite is set to return to iOS devices in Europe through the Epic Games Store in 2024 thanks to the Digital Markets Act (DMA). With these announcements, there is no doubt of witnessing a blossoming period.

What are your thoughts on Disney investing a $1.5 billion equity stake in Epic Games as well as the collaboration on new games? Let us know in the comments below!

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“Sad Panda Studios impressed us from the very beginning. Their games are full of energy, passion, and experience. We see great potential in uplifting their titles and look forward to supporting the incredibly talented team with our proprietary Uplift Platform as well as operational know-how “, says Klaas Kersting, CEO at Phoenix Games.

Phoenix Games and Sad Panda Studios Join Forces for Gaming Innovation

Sad Panda Studios, founded by Morgan Long and her two close friends in 2016, has created a series of delightful and engaging idle dating simulation games. These games, while known for their lighthearted nature, also feature moments of intimacy and strong emotional events. Their debut title, Crush Crush, has amassed over 10 million downloads across platforms like Steam, web, mobile, and Nintendo Switch.

Phoenix Games is dedicated to promoting the studios’ intellectual property using its proprietary uplift platform and aims to expand the reach of Sad Panda’s games to a global audience. Beyond elevating the success of existing titles like Crush Crush and Hush Hush through their expertise in user acquisition, advertising revenue generation, and live operations, this partnership sets the stage for the development of exciting new gaming experiences.

What are your thoughts as Phoenix Games, a Germany-based company specializing in acquiring and enhancing game studios, takes over 100% of Canadian developer Sad Panda Studios? Let us know in the comments below!

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Microsoft faced many hurdles throughout the process of finalizing the Activision deal

On January 18, 2022, Microsoft made an official announcement regarding its acquisition of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, with the completion anticipated by 2023. However, things took an unexpected turn when, just four months later, Activision’s CEO, Bobby Kotick, faced a lawsuit from New York City (NYC) officials over the Microsoft deal.

The lawsuit alleged that the acquisition was rushed to secure a takeover bid from Microsoft in an attempt to evade liability for misconduct within the company. Following these events, on December 8, 2022, the FTC voted to file a legal challenge to prevent Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard. However, Microsoft emerged victorious in the lawsuit filed by FTC, and the reports of the tech giant closing in on completing the deal came true after all.

It should also be noted that earlier this year, the UK regulator initially blocked the $68.7 billion deal due to concerns about cloud gaming competition. In August, Microsoft made a significant concession that Ubisoft will acquire Activision’s PC and console cloud gaming rights instead of Microsoft for the next 15 years. As a result of this concession, the CMA conducted a new investigation, which concluded today, with the CMA clearing this revised transaction.

CEO Bobby Kotick expressed his satisfaction on the news. He stated: “We now have all regulatory approvals necessary to close and we look forward to bringing joy and connection to even more players around the world. We’re excited for our next chapter together with Microsoft and the endless possibilities it creates for you and for our players.”

Hopefully, the deal will benefit the mobile gaming industry for more years to come.

What are your thoughts on Microsoft getting UK regulator approval for Activision Blizzard acquisition? Let us know in the comments below!

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Disney CEO maintains a “non-committal” thought on this prospect

According to Bloomberg, high-level executives are urging Disney’s CEO, Robert Iger, to consider the prospect of transitioning the company from being merely a gaming licensee to becoming a gaming publisher with substantial first-party development capabilities. However, Iger is said to be maintaining a “non-committal” stance toward this idea.

Last year, there were reports circulating that EA was actively exploring options for acquisition and mergers, reaching out to several potential suitors. These rumored companies included Amazon, Apple, Disney, and NBC. However, that wasn’t concrete as EA CEO Andrew Wilson confirmed EA was in an incredible position.

Not so long ago, in September, EA announced its plans to bolster its collaboration with Disney and adopt its successful business model within the gaming industry. CEO Andrew Wilson expressed that gaming holds some of the most significant intellectual properties globally and that there’s potential for further projects built around these IPs.

Having said that, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Disney pulled this off. Disney has plenty of IPs that could be the foundation for exceptional gaming experiences, and acquiring or partnering with a well-established publisher like EA could be a game-changer. The future will undoubtedly unveil how this potential partnership develops.

What are your thoughts on Disney reportedly exploring the possibility of acquiring Electronic Arts? Let us know in the comments below!

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Rovio had previously rejected Playtika’s $738 million offer before agreeing to SEGA’s

In April, there were reports that SEGA was set to acquire Rovio for an estimated deal of €706 million ($775 million), which came true when SEGA officially confirmed the deal later in the same month. This was after Israel-based Playtika Ltd, known for its Slot machines and Card games offered a $738 million acquisition deal in January, which was a mere $37 million less compared to the offer Rovio accepted later on.

However, even though the deal was finalized in April, the successful completion of this offer hinged on several conditions set by Sega Europe. This was about obtaining regulatory approvals and securing a minimum of 90% of Rovio’s shares. In April, It was revealed that shareholders holding around 49.1 percent of Rovio’s outstanding shares and votes had expressed their agreement to the offer. 

However, on August 8th, the final results of the deal revealed that a total of 73,397,174 shares from Rovio shareholders have been tendered, accounting for 96.3% of all issued and outstanding shares and votes in Rovio. In addition, 100 percent of the options have been tendered in the offer.

Rovio joining the SEGA family will look to unlock new possibilities

In conclusion, Rovio has met the 90% threshold and has received the necessary regulatory clearances to become a part of the Sega Family as soon as the offer is completed. To further accommodate shareholders who have yet to accept the offer, SEGA Europe is initiating a “Subsequent Offer Period” scheduled from August 11th to August 25th.

With the deal all but done, this is good news for us fans. Given SEGA’s legacy of creating excellent and memorable titles and Rovio’s products being fun to play, the inclusion of Rovio into the SEGA family will unlock a realm of fresh gaming possibilities. Hopefully, we get a mix of both the creative sides soon, and mostly an experience to remember.

What are your thoughts about Rovio, the makers of Angry Birds set to acquire SEGA after meeting the necessary requirements? Let us know in the comments below!

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The billion-dollar deal between SEGA and Rovio

In a report recently published by none other than the highly esteemed business journal Wall Street Journal, it has been stated that Finland’s Rovio is close to being bought by Japan’s popular game-maker SEGA for nearly $1 billion. This has come as a surprise for many given that the Angry Birds franchise is not in its hayday anymore and is far from what it used to be in its prime years, midway through the last decade.

Rovio has also attempted to expand the Angry Birds universe with subsequent movies and media series, which remains in a realm that is somewhere between successful and unsuccessful. But SEGA might be looking further than that and is maybe planning to acquire the company to utilize its brand to market its games and to publish games via Rovio itself. This is likely given that Rovio is already experienced in dealing with mobile games.

The said deal is not the first time this year that a company has attempted to acquire Rovio. In January 2023, Playtika, a company hailing from Israel tried to acquire the company for about $738 million before the deal ultimately fell through. The next deal came from Sega, the current one that is, and it looks like the deal is all but done as of now.

SEGA acquires Rovio Entertainment for $775 million with the deal finalized on April 17th

The reports did come true after all, as the Finnish game studio has been officially acquired by SEGA for an estimated €706 million ($775 million) as the latter officially confirmed the deal. This is less than what the reports initially suggested, and also a mere $37 million raise over Playtika’s offer.

However, SEGA’s legacy and position in the market might have made Rovio opt-in. SEGA stated in its official statement adds that they intend to accelerate its growth in the worldwide gaming market and boost its corporate value by generating synergies between them and Rovio’s assets, which will include global IPs and live-operated mobile game development capabilities.

Final Thoughts

Since the deal is now completed, this might just revitalize Rovio because Sega is one of the most regarded gaming companies in the world. It might just be the best decision when looking at it from the perspective of both companies. It remains to be seen how it will turn out in real-time though, and as fans, we want nothing more than success from this deal.

Have you played any games from either Rovio or SEGA? What are your thoughts about Rovio, the makers of Angry Birds getting acquired by SEGA? Let us know in the comments below!

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