YoYo Games, developer of the popular cross-platform game development tool GameMaker Studio has been sold to Playtech, a game and online gambling software company.
GameMaker, which has gained popularity in recent years, particularly among small-team game developers, and is the basis for games including Hotline Miami, Risk of Rain, Gunpoint, Gods Will Be Watching, Nidhogg, and Spelunky, among many others. The engine boasts over 750,000 registered game developers, will come along with the acquisition to Playtech.
Playtech, known for its online gambling software, said it would buy YoYo for $16.4 million, with a possible additional $5.25 million paid out.
Playtech said the buy is meant to help the company ‘penetrate the casual gaming space.’ The company also owns game dev studio Plamee, which employs 120 developers. GameMaker studio will help Playtech’s internal and external game development efforts, Playtech said.
The acquisition is part of a three-pronged strategy, according to Playtech: in-house game development, internal and external publishing, and game development technology.
According to his LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, YoYo Games CEO Sandy Duncan has also stepped down following the acquisition. He is now acting as a consultant for the firm at Ferno Technology.