The sixth-biggest gaming acquisition of all time just happened
Stumble Guys just stumbled all the way to the bank with the sixth-biggest gaming acquisition of all time. But why is no one talking about it?
06th Apr 2023 13:26
Images via Scopely
The sixth-biggest gaming acquisition of all time just happened
Stumble Guys just stumbled all the way to the bank with the sixth-biggest gaming acquisition of all time. But why is no one talking about it?
06th Apr 2023 13:26
Images via Scopely
It seems like all that's going on in the video game industry right now is big purchases, and the excitement is wearing pretty thin.
We're still waiting for Xbox's potential purchase of Activision Blizzard to process so players can start reaping the rewards of the buyout, and it's growing harder to imagine that it's a good idea - what with all this faff.
Either way, the meta of dominating the industry is turning to whoever has the deepest pockets, and we're just going to have to accept it. Quietly, one of the biggest purchases in the medium's history has just taken place.
Stumble Guys just got bought out for $4.9 billion
One of the largest buyouts in gaming has just happened right under our noses, and it's headlined by a Fall Guys copycat No, really.
Savvy Games, a division of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment fund, has just bought out the game studio Scopely for a whopping $4.9 billion - which is only one billion dollars less than the offer given to King by Activision. Blimey.
Scopely is known for its mobile rip of Fall Guys, which is aptly titled Stumble Guys. The title has dominated mobile charts for some time, with its season passes and infectious gameplay spreading its wings from its roots as a rip-off to produce its own original ideas.
"The acquisition, subject to regulatory approval, strengthens Savvy's ability to deliver new and exciting products for the global gaming community," reads a press release from Savvy.
Scopely's buyout will 'accelerate our efforts'
"Today's announcement marks a major milestone in the Scopely journey," says Scopely co-CEO Walter Driver. "Savvy Games Group shares our long-held belief that the companies who have built the deepest relationships with their players will succeed.
"Together, as one, we will be able to further expand the possibilities of play, continuing to develop beloved game experiences for players around the world. This transformational partnership is a great validation of the incredible talent of our entire Scopely team and will further accelerate our efforts to drive the games industry forward."
In terms of bigger buyouts, the five that are bigger are Activision buying King ($5.9 billion), Microsoft buying ZeniMax ($8.1 billion), Tencent buying Supercell ($8.6 billion), and Take-Two buying Zynga ($12.7 billion). If it goes through, Microsoft's purchase of Activision Blizzard would be a record-breaking $68.7 billion.
What's baffling is that the Savvy deal is even more than that $4.05 billion Disney paid for the right to Star Wars. Not bad for a Fall Guys-like game. Even if it doesn't make headlines, this massive deal definitely should be. Stumble Guys just stumbled all the way to the bank.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
