Investment & M&A·Updated Apr 8, 2026 by Drake Star Partners
Public gaming equities significantly outperformed the broader market in H1 2025, with the Drake Star Gaming Index rising 28% compared to a 5% gain in the S&P 500.
Private-market financing reached $3 billion across 110 placements in H1 2025, bolstered by major exits such as Dream Games’ $2.5 billion minority stake sale to CVC.
M&A activity remains steady with 46 deals recorded in H1 2025, including Krafton’s $516 million purchase of ADK and Epic Games’ acquisition of AI studio Loci.
Investor sentiment shows a clear geographic divide, with high-growth Asian firms like Sea Limited (30% revenue growth) commanding premium multiples compared to the mixed performance of mature Western platform players like Unity.
Q2 2025 private-placement capital totaled $2.6 billion, with mobile gaming leading the sector at $1.5 billion, followed by PC/console at $0.8 billion.
Artificial intelligence and technology platforms are identified as the primary catalysts for projected growth in M&A and IPO activity through 2026.
Public gaming equities significantly outperformed the broader market in H1 2025, with the Drake Star Gaming Index rising 28% compared to a 5% gain in the S&P 500.
Private-market financing reached $3 billion across 110 placements in H1 2025, bolstered by major exits such as Dream Games’ $2.5 billion minority stake sale to CVC.
M&A activity remains steady with 46 deals recorded in H1 2025, including Krafton’s $516 million purchase of ADK and Epic Games’ acquisition of AI studio Loci.
Investor sentiment shows a clear geographic divide, with high-growth Asian firms like Sea Limited (30% revenue growth) commanding premium multiples compared to the mixed performance of mature Western platform players like Unity.
Q2 2025 private-placement capital totaled $2.6 billion, with mobile gaming leading the sector at $1.5 billion, followed by PC/console at $0.8 billion.
Artificial intelligence and technology platforms are identified as the primary catalysts for projected growth in M&A and IPO activity through 2026.