Updated Apr 30, 2026 by Savvy Games Group
Report
Published by Savvy Games Group
Savvy Games Group has established itself as a premier global force in interactive entertainment, currently ranking eighth worldwide by net revenue. The organization serves as the primary vehicle for Saudi Arabia’s National Gaming and Esports Strategy, which seeks to generate $13.3 billion in GDP contribution and create 39,000 jobs by 2030. By integrating publishing, development, and esports community building, the group effectively navigates the challenges of a saturated global market, positioning the Kingdom as a central hub for the international gaming industry. The company’s operational success is underpinned by a robust capital deployment strategy, with over $12 billion invested across nine major acquisitions since 2021. Under the leadership of CEO Brian Ward, the group has scaled to nearly 4,000 employees across 22 countries, supported by a governance structure that includes specialized committees for investment, risk, and executive oversight. This organizational framework ensures that the group maintains strategic alignment while pursuing aggressive growth in both domestic and international markets. Key business units, specifically Scopely and the ESL FACEIT Group, have delivered record-breaking financial results and solidified the company’s market dominance. The ESL FACEIT Group currently commands a 40% share of the global esports market, engaging over 225 million users through high-profile events like the inaugural Esports World Cup. Simultaneously, internal development efforts through Steer Studios and strategic partnerships with firms like Niantic and Xsolla continue to diversify the portfolio. These collective efforts demonstrate a commitment to scaling interactive entertainment through high-engagement competitive platforms and localized talent development, ensuring long-term sustainability within the global gaming ecosystem.
06 FOREWORDS 28 GOVERNANCE 10 2024 YEAR IN BRIEF 44 EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM 14 GAMES IN KSA 52 SCOPELY UPDATE 18 GLOBAL MARKET CONDITIONS 56 EFG UPDATE 22 COMPANY STRATEGY 62 STEER STUDIOS UPDATE 26 PORTFOLIO
It brings me great pleasure to present Savvy Games Group’s second annual report. In 2024, Savvy achieved major progress against the mandate set out by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2022. We further consolidated our position as a fast-emerging leader in the global games and esports sector and successfully embedded our international business units into our long-term strategy. This enabled us to support them in aligning their global operations with our ambition to accelerate the Kingdom’s domestic ecosystem. I’m delighted to say that this approach has already borne fruit. In May, we announced the establishment of ESL FACEIT Group (EFG)’s operational hub in Riyadh, followed in November with the creation of Mirai, a Scopely company. Both teams have expanded rapidly, creating dozens of new technical jobs for the sector and laying the foundations for further growth. 2024 also saw the signing of strategic partnerships with industry leaders Niantic and Xsolla, fostering collaborations that will enhance game development and publishing capabilities within Saudi Arabia and provide new opportunities for junior talent taking their first steps into the industry. Another key milestone was the inaugural Esports World Cup which took place in Riyadh and was operated by EFG. The event convened 1,500 pro players from 100 countries in the capital city and attracted two million on-site visitors, and 500 million viewers. Not only did this reaffirm Saudi Arabia’s position as the nexus of the world’s fastest growing sport, but it also drew positive feedback from the wider community for further elevating esports on the global stage.
the capital city and attracted two million on-site visitors, and 500 million viewers. Not only did this reaffirm Saudi Arabia’s position as the nexus of the world’s fastest growing sport, but it also drew positive feedback from the wider community for further elevating esports on the global stage. These landmark moments demonstrate our continued commitment to delivering on the goals of the National Games and Esports Strategy (NGES) and underline the potential being unlocked across the whole games and esports value chain. From young entrepreneurs and game developers to major game publishers and international investors, new opportunities are being created every day as Vision 2030 is delivered. I believe that even greater opportunities await Savvy in 2025, both in domestic and international markets, to build on shared values, foster increased cooperation, and better serve and grow the global community of more than three billion gamers and esports enthusiasts. Ultimately, this is what Savvy seeks to be – a global leader who convenes, connects the dots, and facilitates outcomes for the betterment of our community, both in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and worldwide. I would conclude by paying tribute, on behalf of the whole Savvy team, to the national leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to our Chairman, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, who is l
aying tribute, on behalf of the whole Savvy team, to the national leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to our Chairman, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, who is leading the vision that we all aspire to achieve for our company, our sector, and our nation. HRH Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Sultan Al Saud Vice Chairman of Savvy Games Group
2024 was another hugely successful year for Savvy Games Group. Over the last 12 months, we recorded strong financial performance, exceeding our targets for the year. Our results reflect the strength of our portfolio and the return on our investments in high-performing business units: Scopely and ESL FACEIT Group (EFG). When it comes to progress against our strategy, there has been one core theme that has run throughout all our operations: impact. This has been apparent across each of our strategic pillars – game development and publishing, esports, and KSA ecosystem development – with our teams in Saudi Arabia and around the world consistently delivering excellent products, experiences and opportunities for the global games community. S The momentum continued as we further established ourselves as a crossplatform, multi-franchise live service leader. Savvy ended the year as the #8 games publisher globally, in terms of net revenue, ranking higher than several well known industry giants. The key driver of this success was Scopely, whose acclaimed games portfolio and best-in-class live service operations were recognized by TIME Magazine in their 100 Most Influential Companies awards. In 2024, they solidified their market leadership with a demonstrable ability to create and sustain successful franchises.
s success was Scopely, whose acclaimed games portfolio and best-in-class live service operations were recognized by TIME Magazine in their 100 Most Influential Companies awards. In 2024, they solidified their market leadership with a demonstrable ability to create and sustain successful franchises. The blockbuster title, MONOPOLY GO!, continued its unprecedented trajectory, surpassing $3 billion in gross revenue since its launch in 2023, being named Game of the Year by Pocket Gamer, reflecting its status as one of the most celebrated titles in mobile games today. Beyond mobile, Scopely continued to expand its cross-platform capabilities, innovating to bring its rich games experiences to a broader audience. The company successfully launched Stumble Guys on console, marking an important step in its strategy to deliver immersive entertainment for players worldwide. Scopely was also the second-highest grossing mobile games publisher in 2024, having reached historic milestones, marking $10 billion in lifetime revenue, with 15 billion hours of playtime and more than 1 billion downloads worldwide. In our second pillar – esports, Savvy, through EFG, reinforced its position as the global leader in esports, accounting for approximately 40% of the market.
Corporate responsibility and sustainability priorities are covered in MTG’s Annual Corporate Responsibility Report, published 19 S EGMENTAL PERFORMANCE 31 Other Group Information 34 Financial Policies and Risk Management 36 Governance and Responsibilities 41 Internal Control Report 101 ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE It’s impossible to reflect on 2019 without first commenting on the split of MTG into two companies in March – Nordic Enter- tainment and new MTG.
LOS ANGELES | SAN FRANCISCO | NEW YORK | LONDON | PARIS | MUNICH | BERLIN | DUBAI PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN GAMING M&A AND GROWTH FINANCING ADVISORY PROVEN TRACK RECORD IN GAMING M&A AND GROWTH FINANCING ADVISORY MICHAEL METZGER JULIAN RIEDLBAUER Linkedin - Free social media icons MOHIT PAREEK Linkedin - Free social media icons MICHAEL METZGER JULIAN RIEDLBAUER ...
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Everplay Group plc delivered unaudited FY 2025 results that demonstrate resilient profitability amid flat headline revenue. Total sales held steady at £166.0 million, a slight decline from the prior year, yet underlying revenue grew 5 % when excluding the impact of Astragon’s exit from physical distribution. Gross profit rose to £76.3 million, achieving a 46.0 % margin, while adjusted EBITDA increased 11 % to £48.5 million (29.2 % margin). Profit before tax surged 44 % to £36.6 million, driven by higher gross margins and reduced royalty expenses. The Group’s performance was underpinned by robust new‑release activity, with an 80 % revenue increase from fresh titles and a 75 % share of income derived from its back catalogue. Strategic initiatives—such as securing platform partnerships with Netflix Games, Apple Arcade and Amazon Game Night, exiting low‑margin physical distribution, and acquiring additional IP rights—position the company for future growth. Astragon’s revenue fell 33 % to £29.5 million after the distribution exit, yet its first‑party IP share climbed to 83 % of sales; StoryToys expanded revenue by 25 % to £30.4 million, buoyed by high‑profile licenses like LEGO® Bluey and Netflix Games. Share‑based remuneration expanded, with 317,970 options granted to Executive Directors, 349,805 to other employees and 87,957 to Non‑Executive Directors in FY 2025. The Long‑Term Incentive Plan now covers senior divisional leaders, and an All‑Employee Share Incentive Plan remains active. Outlook for FY 2026 highlights a pipeline of over 15 new games, including five first‑party IP titles, and anticipates H2‑weighted EBITDA growth. Financially, the Group reports a single aggregated segment comprising Games Label, Simulation and Edutainment. Revenue in 2025 split evenly between first‑party (£56.13 m) and third‑party IP (£109.86 m), with major platforms such as Steam, Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo and Apple each contributing over 10 % of sales. Operating profit benefited from amortisation of development costs (£14.16 m) and publishing rights, while tax expense rose to £9.35 million from £5.13 million in 2024 due to higher current and deferred tax adjustments. Goodwill impairment testing revealed no shortfalls except for the Astragon Simulation CGU, where recoverable amounts exceed carrying value by £78.5 million (2024: £31.0 million). Sensitivity analysis indicates that a 25 % decline in unreleased title revenues would bring the Astragon CGU to breakeven, but no other reasonable changes trigger impairment. Cash balances remained robust at £51.9 million in 2025, with operating cash flow of £57.7 million slightly below the prior year’s £59.9 million, underscoring solid liquidity and a foundation for continued profitable expansion.