Investments

Reports in the Investments category.

68 documents

Global Gaming Report 2023: Investment & M&A Overview

The global gaming industry experienced a significant year for deal-making in 2023, characterized by record-breaking transaction values and a return to pre-pandemic activity levels. Total disclosed deal value for closed transactions reached $86 billion, a figure heavily influenced by the $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft. Despite a broader market stabilization, the industry saw 960 announced deals throughout the year, with a total disclosed value of approximately $20 billion. Mergers and acquisitions were particularly robust in the PC and console segments, which saw 44 deals, followed closely by mobile with 37. Notable transactions included Savvy Games Group’s $4.9 billion acquisition of Scopely and Tencent’s majority stake in Techland for $1.6 billion. Private financing remained steady, with over $3.5 billion raised across more than 750 rounds. While mobile led financing activity, blockchain and platform tools remained high-interest areas for venture capital firms such as Bitkraft and Andreessen Horowitz. Investors showed a clear preference for early-stage opportunities, with over 85% of fourth-quarter financings directed toward seed and early-stage companies. The geographic scope of the analysis is global, with significant data points covering North America, Europe, and Asian markets, particularly Japan, Korea, and China. Public market performance showed a gradual recovery, with the Drake Star Gaming Index rising 11.5% over the year. Looking toward 2024, the outlook suggests a steady increase in M&A activity, driven by strategic buyers like Tencent, Sony, and Savvy Games Group. Market trends indicate a shift toward smaller and mid-sized deals, a continued focus on artificial intelligence and VR/AR tools, and a potential resurgence of initial public offerings in the latter half of the year as public valuations improve. Private equity is expected to play a larger role in taking undervalued public companies private, while entrepreneurs are increasingly prioritizing early profitability over long-term growth.

mergers-acquisitions investment market-analysis+1

Drake Star PartnersJan 2023

Financial

Gaming Deals Report: Navigating Turbulence (H1’23)

The first half of 2023 marked a significant downturn in gaming industry deal activity, characterized by a sharp contraction in total deal value across private investments, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), and public offerings. Total private investment fell to $1.5 billion across 239 deals, representing a fivefold decline in value compared to the same period in 2022. M&A activity saw an even more dramatic 31x drop in value, falling to $0.9 billion as strategic investors shifted focus toward internal restructuring, layoffs, and cost optimization rather than aggressive expansion. The venture capital landscape remains dominated by early-stage activity, as pre-seed and seed rounds are less susceptible to macroeconomic volatility. While the number of early-stage deals remained relatively stable, the total capital raised shrank by more than half to $269 million. Late-stage investments have largely paused due to a closed IPO window and a lack of viable exit opportunities, leading to a disconnect between investor expectations and startup valuations. Geographically, North America led early-stage VC activity with 24 deals, followed by Western Europe and the MENA region. Public markets remained muted, with companies increasingly choosing to postpone listings or engage in share buybacks. Despite the general market cooling, artificial intelligence has emerged as a resilient niche; investments in AI-related gaming companies rose to $214.1 million across 19 deals in the first half of 2023. Analysts anticipate a potential recovery in the latter half of the year, driven by the closing of major pending deals, such as the Savvy Games Group acquisition of Scopely and Microsoft’s pursuit of Activision Blizzard, alongside a significant amount of unallocated venture capital waiting to be deployed.

mergers-acquisitions investment market-analysis+1

InvestGameJan 2023

Financial

Gaming Deals Activity Report Q1‑Q3'22

The analysis tracks deal activity across the global gaming ecosystem during the first three quarters of 2022, quantifying both merger‑and‑acquisition (M&A) and venture‑capital trends to assess how regulatory shifts and macro‑economic conditions reshaped investment patterns. A total of 626 transactions closed, generating $51.4 billion in value—a 31 percent rise over the same period in 2021—yet the quarterly count of deals contracted sharply, falling from 80 in Q1 to 55 by Q3. This contraction is attributed to heightened regulatory scrutiny, the fallout from the IDFA privacy changes, and a broader slowdown in economic confidence. M&A activity remained the dominant driver, accounting for roughly 73 percent of total deal value, with gaming‑specific mergers representing 72 percent of that share, underscoring the sector’s preference for consolidation over organic growth. In contrast, venture investment slipped 25 percent year‑over‑year, reflecting investor caution amid the same external pressures. Within the venture segment, crypto‑gaming emerged as a distinct outlier: Series A rounds averaged $40 million, markedly above the $25 million average across all gaming deals, highlighted by sizable raises such as Jot Art’s $55 million, Iskra’s $34 million, and Planetarium Labs’ $32 million. Overall, the period illustrates a market in transition, where large‑scale M&A continues to capture the bulk of capital while emerging niches like crypto‑gaming attract disproportionately high funding despite a general retreat in venture activity. The findings suggest that future deal flow will likely hinge on regulatory clarity and the ability of niche segments to sustain investor enthusiasm in a constrained macro environment.

mergers-acquisitions investment market-analysis+1

InvestGameSept 2022

Financial

Gaming Deals Activity Report: Q1 2022

The primary aim of the Q1 2022 Gaming Deals Activity analysis is to quantify and interpret investment trends within the video‑game sector, offering stakeholders a data‑driven snapshot of market dynamics during the first quarter of 2022. By aggregating transaction records across all major regions, the study evaluates both total capital deployed and the frequency of deals, thereby establishing a benchmark for comparative performance. During the quarter, investors allocated roughly $1.1 billion to 52 distinct transactions, reflecting a sharp contraction relative to the previous year. Deal value fell to one‑quarter of the Q1 2021 level (a 2.5‑fold decline), while the number of agreements dropped by nearly half (a 1.9‑fold reduction). These figures signal a pronounced slowdown in financing activity, likely driven by broader macro‑economic pressures and heightened risk aversion among venture and private‑equity participants. The analysis also isolates the blockchain‑gaming niche, for which supplemental data were provided by Naavik, indicating that even emerging sub‑segments are not insulated from the overall downturn. Geographically, the dataset spans global markets, encompassing North America, Europe, Asia‑Pacific and emerging economies, and it covers the full spectrum of gaming‑related enterprises—from traditional publishers and developers to ancillary service providers and crypto‑gaming platforms. The report underscores that the observed decline is not merely a seasonal fluctuation but a substantive shift in capital allocation patterns, suggesting that investors may recalibrate strategies toward more resilient or diversified portfolios in the coming quarters.

investment mergers-acquisitions market-analysis+1

Activision BlizzardJan 2022

Financial

Gaming Deals Activity Report H1'22

The first half of 2022 marked an unprecedented surge in gaming‑sector transactions, with 455 deals closed and a total value of $43.3 billion, rising to $113.6 billion when including announced but not yet finalized agreements. This activity set a new industry benchmark, reflecting heightened investor confidence and a broadening appetite for both mature and emerging gaming assets. Deal activity spanned the full spectrum of financing structures. Control‑oriented mergers and acquisitions dominated, while minority‑stake purchases, early‑stage venture capital, late‑stage venture capital, corporate strategic investments, IPOs and SPAC listings, fixed‑income instruments, and hybrid private‑public offerings each contributed to a diversified capital landscape. The data, compiled from public filings, market‑insight providers, and partner research, cover global markets and encompass all major video‑games subsectors, from console and PC titles to mobile and cloud‑based platforms. The analysis underscores that the record‑setting volume and value were driven not only by traditional M&A but also by an expanding ecosystem of venture and corporate funding, indicating a maturing market where both established publishers and nascent developers attract substantial capital. The report’s methodology emphasizes transparency and non‑advisory intent, positioning the findings as a reference point for industry participants rather than a basis for specific investment decisions. Access to the underlying deal tables and community insights is tiered across subscription levels, ranging from free access to comprehensive expert‑grade data, with sponsorship from Hiro Capital and Naavik noted as independent of the analytical conclusions.

investment mergers-acquisitions market-analysis+1

InvestGameJan 2022

Financial

Global Video Game Deals Report Q1 2021

The first quarter of 2021 marked a historic surge in global video game industry investment, with 249 closed transactions totaling $25 billion. This performance represents a doubling of deal value compared to the first half of 2020, signaling a record-breaking trajectory for the fiscal year. When including announced but unclosed deals, the total quarterly deal value reached $39 billion. The activity was driven primarily by massive consolidation and public market entries, with the gaming segment accounting for nearly all merger and acquisition value. Mergers and acquisitions emerged as the dominant force, contributing 57% of total deal value at $14.3 billion. This sector saw 5.9x year-over-year growth, fueled by "mega-deals" such as Microsoft’s $7.5 billion acquisition of ZeniMax, ByteDance’s $4 billion purchase of Moonton, and Electronic Arts’ $1.2 billion acquisition of Codemasters. Public offerings followed, accounting for $8.3 billion across 36 deals. This segment experienced a 29x increase in value compared to the previous year, highlighted by the public listings of Playtika, Huuuge Games, and tinyBuild, alongside the $41.9 billion direct listing of Roblox. Private investments also reached a record $2.6 billion, with late-stage transactions representing 73% of that total. Early-stage venture capital remained robust, particularly in the mobile and multiplatform sectors, with average seed round sizes increasing by 120% over 2020 levels. Geographically, activity was global but led by major strategic entities; Tencent remained the most prolific investor with 35 deals, while European firms like Embracer Group dominated private investments in public equity. The data, compiled from public media, business partners, and S&P Capital IQ, indicates that high public market valuations and intense interest from institutional investors are likely to sustain this momentum throughout the year.

investment market-analysis global

InvestGameMar 2021

Report

2020–2022: The Most Exciting Time in the Gaming Industry

This analysis examines global investment and merger and acquisition (M&A) activity within the video game industry from 2020 through 2022. The primary thesis posits that the industry has passed a historic peak of deal-making and is now entering a "Great Reset" characterized by market cooling, lower valuations, and a shift in investor priorities. While the era of massive public offerings and late-stage venture capital (VC) surges has slowed due to macroeconomic headwinds like inflation and rising interest rates, the industry remains fundamentally strong with significant "dry powder" available for early-stage startups and strategic consolidations. The data reveals a volatile three-year cycle. M&A activity reached a zenith in 2022 with $37.7 billion in closed deals—a 199% increase in value from 2021—driven by massive consolidations such as Take-Two’s acquisition of Zynga. Conversely, public offerings plummeted by 82% in 2022 as the IPO and SPAC windows effectively closed. Private investments also saw a 16% decline in value in 2022 after doubling the previous year. Despite these drops, early-stage VC remained resilient, with over $6.2 billion raised by gaming-focused funds ready for deployment. Geographically and segmentally, the scope is global, with specific attention paid to the decline of mobile gaming hype post-IDFA and the rising interest in PC, console, and AI-driven startups. The report highlights a stark cooling in Web3 gaming, where investor "FOMO" has been replaced by a focus on fundamental gameplay and infrastructure. Gender diversity remains a challenge in the sector; 89% of funded or acquired companies were led by men in 2022, a negligible change from 90% in 2021. Methodologically, the findings are based on tracked closed transactions across video game publishers, developers, and hardware providers. Data was aggregated from public media, S&P Capital IQ, and partner insights, utilizing a weighted ranking system to identify the most active investors. The analysis concludes that while the "peak wave" has passed, the industry is transitioning into a more disciplined phase of the investment cycle.

market-analysis mergers-acquisitions investment+1

InvestGameJan 2020

Investments

Global Gaming Report 2023: Investment & M&A Overview

Gaming Industry Report

Gaming Deals Report: Navigating Turbulence (H1’23)

Gaming Deals Activity Report Q1‑Q3'22

Gaming Deals Activity Report: Q1 2022

Gaming Deals Activity Report H1'22

Global Video Game Deals Report Q1 2021

2020–2022: The Most Exciting Time in the Gaming Industry