Investment & M&A·Updated Apr 30, 2026 by Aream & Co
Report · April 15, 2026
Published by Aream & Co
This report is provided for general information and discussion purposes only and is intended solely for subscribers. It does not constitute a financial promotion, investment advice, or a recommendation to engage in any investment activity. The content reflects the views of the authors at the time of publication and may be subject to change without notice.
Disclaimer This report is provided for general information and discussion purposes only and is intended solely for subscribers. It does not constitute a financial promotion, investment advice, or a recommendation to engage in any investment activity. The content reflects the views of the authors at the time of publication and may be subject to change without notice. Nothing in this report should be construed as an offer, invitation, or solicitation to buy or sell any financial instruments or to engage in investment activity, as defined by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA). This presentation is intended solely for the use of the recipient and may not be distributed to any other company or person without the prior written consent of Aream & Co. Aream & Co. is a shared trading name with Aream Group LLP, Aream Advisors LLC and Aream Advisors GmbH. Aream Group LLP is a Limited Liability Partnership registered in England and Wales, Registered Number: OC426365, Registered Office Address: 1 Cavendish Place, London, England, W1G 0QF, United Kingdom. Aream Group LLP (FRN 839407) is an Appointed Representative of Sentinel Regulatory Services Ltd (FRN 1007903) which is authorized and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Aream Advisors LLC is a US regulated Broker Dealer CRD#318177 and is registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Aream Advisors GmbH operates in the European Union as a Tied Agent of NFS Netfonds Financial Services GmbH (NFS).
d regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Aream Advisors LLC is a US regulated Broker Dealer CRD#318177 and is registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Aream Advisors GmbH operates in the European Union as a Tied Agent of NFS Netfonds Financial Services GmbH (NFS). NFS is authorized and regulated by the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin).
global, independent investment bank specialized in gaming and interactive entertainment COMPANY SNAPSHOT WORLDWIDE COVERAGE OUR STRENGTH Passionate about Video Games 110+ and our craft – core deal team together for 13+ years M&A AND FI NANC I NG LONDON Deep institutional knowledge of TRANSACTI ONS the sector, current market trends and strategic capital allocation among buyer universe $39 bn+ SAN FRANC I SC O Broad transaction experience across PC, console, mobile and the TRANSAC TI ON wider gaming ecosystem VALUE BERLI N Unparalleled relationships with strategic acquirers and financial 2 5 investors interested in the sector GAMI NG BANK ERS Expert execution underpinned by our heritage in global financial SI NGAPOR E institutions and constant market participation
recent deal activity TRANSACTIONS ADVISED BY AREAM & CO. 1 I H M E3 H1 bE bluetile loom HAVIOUR Sale to Sale to Sale to Acquisition of Blu HtS GAMING Blackstone TRANSACTIONS Investment from Debt financing to 2025 – 2026 YTD Nazara FUN PMPS impact4 ream 201 million 289 million 1.0 billion+ 53 million+ Pending Pending Pending March 2026 November 2025 August 2025 20 PAY 100 EAT $ 6 bn+ P L VENTURE CUMULATIVE Apps Business MTG Easybrain DEAL VALUE Sale to Sale of selected Acquisition of Acquisition of Sale to Sale to 2025 – 2026 YTD assets to Sale to assets to 800 million up to 820 million $1.2 billion July 2025 July 2025 May 2025 February 2025 January 2025 January 2025 Note: (1) Transaction values are based on the 100% enterprise value incl. upfront and earnout considerations 4
Q1-26 executive summary • PC gaming on Steam set new all-time highs in both quarterly revenue ($5.6bn) and peak concurrent users (42.7m), sustaining double-digit GAMING LTM growth of +12% YoY on the back of a balanced mix of franchise sequels and breakout new IPs MARKET • Console revenue hit a record $21.7bn, driven by the Nintendo Switch 2 hardware cycle, more than offsetting YoY declines at ENVIRONMENT PlayStation (-4%) and Xbox (-9%) • Mobile IAP spend held steady at ~$20.5bn, while download volumes hit multi-year lows • M&A value reached $7.7bn across 52 transactions in Q1-26, highlighting sustained demand for scaled assets, led by Savvy's acquisition of DEALMAKING Moonton (~6bn) and Scopely’s (subsidiary of Savvy) purchase of Loom Games at ~1bn valuation ACTIVITY • Mid-market activity was equally robust, with Q1-26 being the most active quarter in $100m+ gaming content M&A since the pandemic and new strategic buyers (Behaviour, NCSOFT, Nazara) driving the current round of consolidation • Notable financial investor activity in the gaming content space included Haveli's acquisition of Budge Studios and General Catalyst's $70m Series A investment in Ares Interactive • Chinese developers of immersive AR/XR technology (e.g., Viture, Xreal, RayNeo) attracted outsized financing rounds, backed by state linked telecoms and strategic investors, reflecting accelerating consumer adoption in China's smart glasses market
st's $70m Series A investment in Ares Interactive • Chinese developers of immersive AR/XR technology (e.g., Viture, Xreal, RayNeo) attracted outsized financing rounds, backed by state linked telecoms and strategic investors, reflecting accelerating consumer adoption in China's smart glasses market • Broader macroeconomic headwinds and AI-driven market rotation weighed on public equities across the board, with gaming stocks CAPITAL declining in line with the wider software stocks sell-off MARKETS • As a result, public capital offerings remained subdued with $1.0bn across 11 deals in Q1-26, concentrated in mid-sized fixed income deals (Hasbro, Stillfront), Xsolla’s newly formed SPAC, and LY Corporation's strategic investment in Kakao Games • Private investment totalled $0.8bn across 101 deals, with early-stage activity falling further to just 43 deals this quarter, its lowest level in recent years
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 ...
The interim filing presents the fourth‑quarter 2025 financial results for a midcore‑casual gaming group, emphasizing a record‑setting revenue run and the successful execution of a transformation agenda that includes the integration of the Plarium acquisition and the rollout of a new district structure in early 2026. Revenue reached SEK 3,123 million, reflecting 108 % organic growth year‑on‑year and a 25 % increase on a constant‑currency basis, while adjusted EBITDA rose to SEK 717 million, delivering a 23 % margin that matches the full‑year figure. Unlevered free cash flow amounted to SEK 878 million, with a cash‑conversion rate of 66 % and a leverage ratio of five times EBITDA, underscoring robust liquidity and disciplined capital management. User‑acquisition spending accelerated, representing 38 % of quarterly revenue—up from 37 % in the prior quarter—and grew 76 % on a reported basis, driven by heightened investment in original studios, new casual titles, and the racing franchise. The direct‑to‑consumer channel expanded by 600 basis points to 32 % of total revenue, reflecting a strategic shift toward higher‑margin in‑app purchases. Across the fiscal year, the company posted a 9 % organic revenue increase, with word‑games, racing, and RAID franchises delivering the strongest quarter‑end performance. Operating cash flow for the quarter stood at SEK 840 million, while adjusted net income was SEK 1,390 million, translating to an adjusted EPS of SEK 11.33. The financial outcomes exceed guidance and position the firm to meet its medium‑term outlook, with a pre‑IPO study for PlaySimple concluded and the midcore transformation progressing as planned.
The third quarter of 2025 underscores the continued premium placed on hardware and platform players within the global gaming ecosystem, as investors assign a wide spectrum of valuation multiples that reflect divergent growth narratives and market positioning. Enterprise‑valued firms such as Dell and HP trade near a 1‑times EV/EBITDA ratio, indicating modest expectations for earnings expansion, while high‑growth entities like Nvidia and AppLovin command multiples exceeding 25‑times, with the latter reaching 42.8‑times, highlighting the market’s appetite for cutting‑edge processing power and mobile advertising integration. Across the board, most companies in the segment posted double‑digit year‑over‑year revenue increases, confirming robust demand for both traditional PC hardware and emerging cloud‑based gaming services. Equity performance further illustrates the split between established hardware manufacturers and platform‑centric developers. Roblox delivered the strongest year‑to‑date appreciation at 136.9%, driven by expanding user engagement and monetization initiatives, while Unity recorded a 77‑percent gain, reflecting its pivotal role in cross‑platform development tools and the growing adoption of real‑time 3D content. These returns contrast sharply with the more muted trajectories of hardware‑only firms, suggesting that investors are rewarding firms that blend hardware capabilities with scalable software ecosystems. Overall, the data portray a gaming market in which valuation is increasingly tied to the ability to integrate hardware performance with platform services, and where growth‑oriented companies enjoy markedly higher multiples and stock appreciation. The findings span a global landscape, covering major North American, European, and Asian players, and focus on the quarter ending September 2025, offering a snapshot of valuation dynamics and performance trends that are likely to shape strategic investment decisions throughout the remainder of the year.
The second quarter of 2025 highlights a strategic shift in the video game industry’s mergers and acquisitions landscape, characterized by a rise in rescue-style investments often referred to as white knight acquisitions. These transactions involve established global entities stepping in to acquire studios or media outlets that might otherwise face closure or significant downsizing. Notable examples include KRAFTON’s acquisition of Tango Gameworks, Behaviour Interactive’s absorption of Antimatter, and Gunzilla Games’ involvement with Game Informer. These moves suggest that despite broader economic volatility and a contraction in traditional venture capital, high-quality creative talent and established intellectual properties remain highly valuable assets for diversified gaming conglomerates. The current market environment reflects a transition where strategic preservation is prioritized over speculative growth. Large-scale publishers are increasingly focused on securing proven development teams to bolster their long-term pipelines, viewing these acquisitions as opportunities to integrate specialized expertise at a time when independent sustainability is difficult. This trend underscores a broader industry sentiment that while the capital market remains challenging, the underlying value of experienced human capital continues to drive significant deal flow. These developments indicate that the industry is moving toward a more consolidated but stable structure, where the survival of key creative hubs is facilitated by the strategic interests of larger market players.