Miniclip acquires Easybrain from Embracer for $1.2bn

[Cpvr]

Miniclip has acquired casual puzzle game-maker Easybrain from Embracer for $1.2bn.

Easybrain, headquartered in Cyprus, has released over 50 mobile titles, mostly casual puzzlers. Its most popular games include Art Puzzle, Pixel Art, Number Match, Jigsaw Puzzles and Blockudoku. Easybrain also owns Sudoku.com and runs the associated mobile game.

The developer now joins the likes of Sybo and FuturLab in Tencent-owned Miniclip’s ever growing portfolio, which until now has not included many titles in the casual puzzle space.

 

The announcement states that during its FY23-24, which ended in March, Easybrain net sales were 3.395bn SEK, or $308m. Profitability as measured by adjusted EBIT and adjusted EBITDAC came in at 1.382bn SEK and 1.392bn SEK respectively, or $125.7m and $126.6m.

Easybrain reported UA costs for FY23-24 as 1.524bn SEK, or $138.6m, which is 45% of net sales.

Miniclip CEO Saad Choudri said of the deal: “We have long admired Easybrain’s ability to build loyal and engaged puzzle game communities. The addition of evergreen franchises like Sudoku.com further reinforces our vision to engage a broad audience of players.”

 

Easybrain CEO Oleg Grushevich said: “We’re proud to have contributed to Embracer’s story and strength along the way, and we extend our sincere thanks to Lars for being an exceptional partner who has been supportive and trustworthy throughout. Today, Easybrain starts a new chapter, and we are confident that joining forces with Miniclip will enable us to leverage new strengths and deliver even more enriching experiences for our players.”

Cofounder and CEO of Embracer Lars Wingefors added:  “As Easybrain’s market is transforming, Miniclip is the right strategic buyer to enable the company to stay at the forefront of the ad-driven mobile game industry. I would like to extend my gratitude to the founders and senior management Oleg Grushevich, Peter Skoromnyi and Matvey Timoshenko, who remain Embracer shareholders and the fantastic Easybrain team for their contributions to Embracer. I am confident that Easybrain will continue to innovate and achieve sustainable growth in the industry.”

source: Mobilegamer

[killamch89]

I wonder if this acquisition will lead to more cross-promotion with Miniclip's other games. Having a puzzle-focused developer under the same roof as a company with strong action/sports games could lead to some interesting collaborations or shared tech.

[Scorpion]

Miniclip's acquisition of Easybrain signals a strategic move into casual puzzles, promising exciting new gameplay experiences and community engagement growth!