Sega has completed its acquisition of Rovio, the Finnish mobile gaming giant. The news was announced on X (formerly Twitter), confirming that Angry Birds developer Rovio is now officially part of the Sega family. While there are still some finalization processes and no official press release for investors yet, it appears that the acquisition has been successfully completed.
The acquisition journey for Rovio began in January when Israeli game maker Playtika made an offer to purchase the company for $737.5 million. Talks officially started as part of a strategic review, and while Playtika was initially singled out, other companies also expressed their interest in acquiring Rovio.
However, on March 23, the negotiations between Playtika and Rovio ended without reaching a deal, paving the way for Sega to acquire Rovio for $775 million.
The acquisition has progressed rapidly since it was first announced, with Rovio becoming an official part of the Sega family just five months later.
Soaring to new heights
The completion of the acquisition presents new possibilities for collaborations between Angry Birds and the various franchises under Sega’s umbrella, such as Sonic the Hedgehog.
More and more game makers with a focus on console and PC platforms are now expanding into the mobile space. Sony has made significant investments in its mobile arm, and Microsoft is prioritizing mobile in its ongoing efforts to acquire leading developer Activision Blizzard. Mobile gaming, as the most profitable and accessible gaming platform, has immense potential for generating substantial revenue.
Rovio is one of the world’s most successful mobile game developers, and Angry Birds was one of the earliest breakout hits in the mobile gaming industry. This success has led Finland to be regarded as the spiritual home of mobile gaming. Sega’s acquisition of Rovio provides a significant boost to its mobile gaming ambitions while also benefiting from the cross-platform appeal of the Angry Birds franchise. In addition to mobile games, the franchise has expanded to other platforms, TV series, films, and even theme park attractions. Furthermore, earlier this year, it was announced that Angry Birds would be entering classrooms with a series of educational games.
We included Rovio in our list of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2022. Stay tuned for our list for 2023, which will be unveiled at our event at Gamescom on August 22.