Latest News
Rollic Completes $6 Million Acquisition of Onnect – Matching Puzzle from CHEF Game Studio
Rollic, a subsidiary of Zynga Inc., a global leader in interactive entertainment, announced today that it has recently closed its acquisition for the popular matching game Onnect from CHEF Game Studio. Onnect has been acquired in full for a closing payment of $6 million and a potential future payment of $1 million, based on terms and conditions agreed upon by the parties.
“We are proud to be a part of the rapidly expanding games community in Turkey where developers are creating stand-out, successful game experiences across every vertical,” said Burak Vardal, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rollic. “Onnect is a great example of innovative game design, and we are excited to acquire the game in full and to continue developing around its proven success. Onnect’s viable roadmap will encourage developers, creating their path to product-oriented success.”
Background:
Onnect is a connection-based pair-matching game with challenging levels. In the game, players must find matching tiles and connect pairs of up to three lines to remove all tile pairs before their time runs out.
Onnect, which was developed by CHEF Game Studio and published and partially owned by Rollic, has been acquired in full for a closing payment of $6 million as well as a potential future payment based on terms and conditions agreed upon by the parties. The game will be developed in-house at Rollic going forward and comprises part of Rollic’s exciting game portfolio, which includes eight titles that have reached the #1 or #2 top free downloaded games positions in the U.S. App Store.
Founded in 2018 by Burak Vardal, Deniz Basaran and Mehmet Can Yavuz, Rollic is an Istanbul-based mobile games developer and publisher with an exciting portfolio of popular hyper-casual games. On October 1, 2020, Zynga acquired Rollic, marking Zynga’s entry into hyper-casual, one of the largest and fastest-growing mobile game categories.
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Backseat Gaming
Hub88 integrates Backseat Gaming and Clutch Gaming in double supplier deal
Aggregator adds high-volatility slots including Hades Harvest, Deep Sea Mafia and Radiate to its operator network.
Hub88 has added Backseat Gaming and sister studio Clutch Gaming to its supplier network via a double integration deal, expanding the content available to operators on its aggregation platform.
The integration makes a number of titles available through Hub88, including Hades Harvest, Deep Sea Mafia and Radiate. Hub88 positioned the move as a way to broaden its catalogue with high-volatility content.
Ollie Castleman, Managing Director at Hub88, said: “Backseat Gaming and Clutch Gaming bring a level of craft and personality that stands out.
“By choosing both complementary studios run by the same team, our partners gain the flexibility to reach different player preferences. With both brands already making a splash in the industry, we’re sure this content will become an unmissable addition to lobbies.”
Debbie Cooper, Head of Commercial Operations at Backseat Gaming, said: “Partnering with Hub88 marks an exciting next step for Backseat Gaming and Clutch Gaming as we look to expand our reach across the iGaming industry.
“Hub88’s proven aggregation platform and extensive operator portfolio give us the ideal network to get our content in front of new audiences quickly and efficiently. We’re excited to work alongside their team and bring our game content to their partners.”
The studios said they plan to release one game per week from each provider, with both brands managed by the same team and positioned to target different player tastes.
The post Hub88 integrates Backseat Gaming and Clutch Gaming in double supplier deal appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Africa
Mancala Gaming signs QTech distribution deal for emerging markets
Mancala Gaming has struck a distribution deal with QTech to roll out its slots and crash games to operators across emerging markets, the companies said on 21 July 2026.
Under the agreement, QTech will add Mancala Gaming’s catalogue to its aggregator platform. Mancala said its current portfolio includes more than 80 games, spanning slots and crash titles such as Panther Legacy, Coin Craze: Supercharged, Diego’s Spicy Truck, Cheese Chase, Beer Halla and Muscle Tussle.
Mancala Gaming CCO Emiliano Sanchez said: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with QTech to boost our reach and relevance across emerging markets, seamlessly offering our premium slots and crash content to a range of previously undiscovered operators. We now look forward to elevating our ambitions through the sprawling reach of QTech’s platform, particularly in Africa and LatAm where the crash-gaming genre is in such high demand. Mobile-first consumption and speed are the consequential keys to success in these two continents where players want instant entertainment, short sessions, and quick results, even when mobile connectivity is not optimal.
QTech CEO Philip Doftvik added: “Mancala Gaming’s content brings a level of gameplay and interactive engagement that keeps players coming back for more, improving retention and dwell-time metrics. Their growing gaming suite of slots, instant-win, and crash games is built for rapid deployment across any market. So, we’re confident that our operator partners will soon see strong performance courtesy of some multi-layered gameplay experiences which appeal to both seasoned and casual players.
The companies did not disclose commercial terms or name operator launch partners.
The post Mancala Gaming signs QTech distribution deal for emerging markets appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Avanti
Avanti Studios names former Evolution executive Steven Tabone as Commercial Director
Tabone joins from Evolution, where he served as Head of Region, as Avanti targets new operator and aggregator partnerships.
Avanti Studios has appointed Steven Tabone as Commercial Director, hiring the former Evolution Head of Region to lead its commercial strategy and partnership growth.
Tabone spent two years at Evolution, where he worked on commercial strategy, sales and account management, and supported operator relationships, according to the company. Avanti said his remit will include building operator and aggregator partnerships and developing a scalable go-to-market strategy focused on international expansion.
The supplier also pointed to recent activity in Spain and Brazil, citing partnerships with Entain and Bet365 as it scales operations in those markets.
Steven Tabone, Commercial Director at Avanti, said: “I firmly believe Avanti is the most exciting thing to have happened to the iGaming industry for a very long time, so I’m obviously delighted to be joining as Commercial Director during what is undoubtedly a pivotal period for the company.
“What drew me to Avanti is having the chance to build something genuinely different. The team has a clear vision that will disrupt the industry with its innovation and quality, and as an operator, you can either jump on the train with us or be left standing at the station. Being able to shape that journey from the very beginning is a huge opportunity, and one that I’m really looking forward to.”
The post Avanti Studios names former Evolution executive Steven Tabone as Commercial Director appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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