Square Enix looks to the future with strategic investment in cloud gaming pioneer Blacknut

Leading Japanese Game Company Invests in B2B2C Cloud Gaming Platform Blacknut

Blacknut, the leading independent cloud-gaming provider, today announced a strategic investment from gaming juggernaut SQUARE ENIX® as it looks to meet the increasing worldwide demand for cloud gaming services. The investment will support ongoing R&D to cement Blacknut’s technological lead, accelerate the market reach of its B2B solution, and further expand Blacknut’s portfolio of games which already boasts more than 500 games from a host of well-known publishers. According to research by Newzoo, cloud gaming generated more than $2 billion from 24 million subscribers in 2021.

“We are very proud to welcome Square Enix, a company that’s genre defining franchises continue to win over generations of gamers. It’s decision to invest in Blacknut is a real endorsement of our vision, technology and market approach.” said Olivier Avaro, CEO at Blacknut. “Square Enix understands the potential of cloud gaming, as players continue to transition away from physical formats, finding new ways to deliver disruptive gaming experiences from the cloud.”

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The strong partnerships Blacknut has built with publishers through its mutually beneficial ecosystem will be further reinforced by the Square Enix investment in Blacknut, and the company will contribute considerable experience and knowledge to the company’s leadership team.

“Blacknut is a company at the forefront of cloud gaming, with a unique combination of technical expertise and a vision for the future of gaming,” said Hideaki Uehara, Director of Business Development at Square Enix. “We are excited by the potential of cloud gaming and this partnership will allow us to stay on top of new developments in the space, as well as expedite our future growth.”

With most households owning multiple connected devices, Blacknut’s extensive game catalog is available as a click-to-play experience across all internet-connected screens. The service is available on computers, mobiles, smart TVs and set-top boxes, or directly through the Webapp on Chrome and Safari.

The service is live in 45 countries spanning Europe, North America, South Asia and most recently expanding into Latin America and the Middle East. Over the course of the last fours years Blacknut has experienced exponential growth thanks to major B2B partnerships with ISPs, device manufacturers, OTT services and media companies, including Telecom Italia, AIS in Thailand, Hutchison Drei in Austria, POST Telecom in Luxembourg, Telecall in Brazil, or the latest launch for Celcom in Malaysia, and M1 in Singapore.