Weekly News Digest #23
# of announced deals
9
announced deals’ size
$166.3m
# of closed deals
9


MY.GAMES Launches New Publishing Label, Knights Peak Interactive
We are excited to announce the launch of a new initiative by our partners at MY.GAMES. The Netherlands-based multiplatform games publisher and developer has launched Knights Peak Interactive — a new PC & Console publishing label with a strong focus on premium titles. This new division kicks off with the following announcements:
— Mandragora: A dark medieval-fantasy action RPG developed by Budapest-based Primal Game Studio. Launch date for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S is late 2024;
— Nikoderiko: The Magical World: A family-friendly platform adventure game by Cyprus-based VEA Games. The launch date for PC and consoles is late 2024;
— Starship Troopers: Extermination: The first-person sci-fi shooter by Canada-based Co-Publisher and developer Offworld. Knights Peak will be the publisher for the console version on October 11, 2024, alongside the full PC release by Offworld.
Furthermore, Knights Peak already has in its back catalog titles:
— Pathfinder: Kingmaker is a classic RPG inviting players to explore and conquer the Stolen Lands, filled with rich stories and tactical combat. Developed by Owlcat Games, it is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
— Blast Brigade is an explosive action-adventure game combining Metroidvania exploration with thrilling combat and a humorous storyline. Developed by MY.GAMES, it is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
The launch of Knights Peak Interactive aims to elevate gaming experiences through a diverse portfolio of captivating games. The new division will significantly enhance MY.GAMES’ efforts in the premium games segment and diversify MY.GAMES’ established catalog.
We thank MGVC and Xsolla for supporting this digest.
NOTABLE TRANSACTIONS |
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
US-based entertainment tech company Infinite Reality has acquired US-based platform Action Face for an undisclosed sum. The company wants to integrate Action Face’s 3D avatar technology, which will provide users with more dynamic and personalized interactions for users of Infinite Reality.
Japan-based games publisher COLOPL (TKS: 3668) has acquired a 12.5% stake in France-based web3 games developer Crypto Blockchain Industries for ~$11.5m (€12.5m). This deal makes COLOPL the second-largest shareholder in CBI. The investment includes an exclusive publishing and distribution agreement for the game Brilliantcrypto in Europe and South America.
VENTURE FINANCING
Spain-based game developer Bespoke Pixel has raised $25m from undisclosed investors. The newly established studio will use the funding to form a team initially developing game prototypes. The studio was founded by David Polfeldt, who was Managing Director of Massive Entertainment for 12 years and participated in the development of Far Cry 3, both titles of Tom Clancy’s The Division, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Star Wars: Outlaws, and the Snowdrop game engine.
Hong Kong-based web3 UGC platform The Sandbox has raised $20m in a convertible debt funding round led by Kingsway Capital and Animoca Brands, with participation from LG Tech Ventures, Alpaca VC, True Global Ventures, and other investors. The funds will support the development of the company’s metaverse platform. The company raised its current round with a $1B valuation, which has decreased significantly since the last round in 2022, when the valuation was $4B.
South Korea-based web3 games developer NDUS Interactive has raised $7.5m in a pre-Series A funding round led by Hashed and the Sui Foundation, with participation from Spartan Capital, Neoclassic, Big Brain Holdings, Krafton, and other investors. The funds will fuel the development of the company’s own title, Xociety, a third-person web3 shooter game. The funding occurred after the beta test of the shooter.
Norway-based technology company Sloyd has raised approximately $3.3m (€3m) in a Seed funding round from a16z, Antler, Skyfall Ventures, FreshFund, Hartmann Capital, strategic investment from Autodesk, and other investors. The funding will fuel the development of AI solutions for the 3D modeling industry. The company plans to develop a platform that will provide 3D creators with tools to accelerate the development of 3D models and environments in the gaming and entertainment industry.
US-based VR content platform Wevr has raised $2.5m in a funding round led by HTC Corp. and Epic Games, which originally backed the company a decade ago. The funding will fuel the development of Virtual Studio technology and real-time 3D production.
Japan-based VR/AR company Meson Tokyo has raised an undisclosed sum in a pre-Series A round from MIXI Corporation. The funds will be used to develop new products for social implementation. MIXI also plans to incorporate Meson’s space computing technology into its new business ventures.
PUBLIC OFFERINGS
Sweden-based games developer Modern Times Group (STO: MTG-B) has secured $95.5m (SEK 1B) in an unsecured revolving credit facility from DNB Bank (OSE: DNB), Nordea (HEL: NDA-FI), and Swedbank (STO: SWED-A). The debt will support operational and strategic needs. The new 2-year facility, with an optional 1-year extension, replaces MTG’s previous $95.5m revolving credit facility, which was approved in Jul’21 in relation to the acquisition of PlaySimple.