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Opera buys owner of GameMaker and starts a Gaming division

Published

5 years ago

January 22, 2021

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Opera, the browser developer and consumer internet brand, announced its acquisition of YoYo Games, creator of the world’s leading 2D game engine, GameMaker Studio 2, for approximately $10 million. The tuck-in acquisition represents the second building block in the foundation of Opera Gaming, a new division within Opera with global ambitions and follows the creation and rapid growth of Opera’s innovative Opera GX browser, the world’s first browser built specifically for gamers.

Krystian Kolondra, EVP Browsers at Opera, said: “With Opera GX, Opera had adapted its proven, innovative browser tech platform to dramatically expand its footprint in gaming. We’re at the brink of a shift, when more and more people start not only playing, but also creating and publishing games. GameMaker Studio2 is best-in-class game development software, and lowers the barrier to entry for anyone to start making their games and offer them across a wide range of web-supported platforms, from PCs, to, mobile iOS/Android devices, to consoles.

Annette De Freitas, Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Opera Gaming, added: “Gaming is a growth area for Opera and the acquisition of YoYo Games reflects significant, sustained momentum across both of our businesses over the past year. Our new Opera GX browser hit 7 million MAUs in December, 2020, up 350% year over year, while YoYo Games’ GameMaker engine achieved 400K new registered creators in 2020. We’re tremendously excited by the opportunities the combination creates not only for our combined users, but also for the expansion of Opera’s gaming community.”

Stuart Poole, GM at YoYo Games who will remain with the business alongside technical lead Russell Kay stated, “For over twenty years, the vision behind the GameMaker engine was to not just create more games, but expand development within and beyond the game studio. We think the transaction with Opera – whose products are known, trusted and used worldwide by millions of people every month- represents a massive opportunity to accelerate fulfilment of that founding vision, during a period of exceptional growth for both companies.”

“We are very excited to start working with the team at YoYo Games,” said Krystian Kolondra, EVP Browsers at Opera. “We see the Game Maker Studio platform as being an ideal acquisition to complement our global ambitions in gaming, and to help drive awareness and traffic to our Opera GX gaming browser.”

Opera GX, YoYo Games and GameMaker will unite under Opera Gaming, focusing on innovating across the gaming, game development, and browser experience. “We look forward to further growing Opera GX and driving the growth of GameMaker as part of a broader ecosystem, making it more accessible to novice users and developing it into the world’s leading 2D game engine used by commercial studios,” continued Krystian Kolondra. “Opera Gaming will be focusing on accelerating the growth of this emerging ecosystem, combining the 7+ million highly engaged gamers using Opera GX with millions of GameMaker creators. We are also thrilled to continue realizing synergies between YoYo Games’ products and Opera GX.”

GameMakerStudio is an integrated game development software, performance-tuned 2/2.5D engine that fuels many games, including multi-million hits like Risk of Rain, Undertale, or Hyper Light Drifter on an extensive range of mainstream platforms. Starting to build games with Game Maker Studio requires little to zero coding skills. Due to its extensive functionalities and ease of use Game Maker Studio lowers the barriers to entry and empowers a variety of creative people to make their games come alive and share them with the world.

Kolondra explained further: “Performance is essential to even 2D gaming, and sustaining that performance across mobile devices and laptops as well as variable bandwidth and connectivity requires thinking outside of traditional application silos. The line between building good games and good browsers has been eroding for years – with gaming interactivity across internet connections ramping up and browsers growing more multi-function and sophisticated. Traditionally the two types of technology compete for hardware and bandwidth resources. But as Opera GX proved, there was a better way to address that competition and improve the experience across both functionalities. YoYo Games’ team, development expertise and studio relationships lay the groundwork for turning the Opera GX vertical into a new kind of horizontal. This horizontal opportunity is why we’re building Opera Gaming and its infrastructure – so that we can further integrate gaming and browsing in ways beneficial to both in terms of not only monetization, but also experience.”

AGCO

Endorphina secures AGCO supplier registration in Ontario

Published

52 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

endorphina-secures-agco-supplier-registration-in-ontario

Endorphina Limited has obtained a Gaming-Related Supplier registration in Ontario, Canada, allowing the company to supply its online slot content to licensed operators in the province.

The registration was issued by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Ontario is one of North America’s most closely regulated online gambling markets.

“Securing approval in Ontario is a significant achievement for Endorphina. It confirms the quality of our products, the strength of our compliance framework, and our readiness to operate in highly regulated environments,” said Head of Compliance at Endorphina, Džangar Jesenov.

Endorphina said it has a portfolio of 200+ slots, partnerships with 6,000+ operators, and an active presence in more than 50 jurisdictions. The company positions the Ontario approval as part of its broader expansion strategy in regulated markets.

The post Endorphina secures AGCO supplier registration in Ontario appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Adjarabet

Galaxsys Enters into Strategic Partnership with Adjarabet

Published

52 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

galaxsys-enters-into-strategic-partnership-with-adjarabet

Galaxsys expands its presence in key markets through a strategic partnership with Adjarabet, strengthening its footprint across the Caucasus region while delivering a diverse portfolio of slot and fast games.

“We are pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Adjarabet, one of the leading online gaming operators in the Caucasus region with a strong presence in Armenia and Georgia. This collaboration represents a significant step in our expansion strategy, reinforcing our presence in key regional markets and supporting continued growth,” Galaxsys said.

“Through this partnership, Adjarabet will integrate our diverse portfolio of games, recognized for engaging mechanics, high performance, and flexible customization. Titles such as Rocketon, Tower Rush, Cash Show, and Penalty are designed to deliver dynamic gameplay experiences aligned with the preferences of regional audiences.”

Teni Grigoryan, Chief Sales and Partner Development Officer at Galaxsys, said: “We are delighted to partner with Adjarabet, a well-established and respected operator in the region. This collaboration aligns perfectly with our strategy to expand into key markets and deliver high-quality, engaging content to a broader audience. We are confident that our games will add significant value to Adjarabet’s platform.”

Vagharshak Hakobyan, Head of Gaming Department at Adjarabet Armenia, said: “We are excited to partner with Galaxsys and integrate their innovative portfolio into our platform. Their games bring a fresh, engaging, and high-performing experience that aligns perfectly with our goal of offering top-quality entertainment. This collaboration reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering localized, dynamic experiences.”

This partnership further highlights Galaxsys’ commitment to building strong, long-term collaborations with leading operators worldwide while continuing to expand its global footprint through innovative and performance-driven content.

The post Galaxsys Enters into Strategic Partnership with Adjarabet appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

affiliate marketing

ReferOn adds crypto finance layer to automate affiliate payouts

Published

52 minutes ago

April 21, 2026

Wladimir P.

referon-adds-crypto-finance-layer-to-automate-affiliate-payouts

ReferOn has launched a built-in crypto finance layer designed to automate affiliate payouts and centralise crypto payout workflows inside its platform. The company said the feature supports crypto payments through its licensed partners’ payment gateways and is available now.

ReferOn said the layer is intended to replace manual, fragmented finance processes with program funding, real-time visibility into funds, automated crypto payouts, and audit-ready transaction history with exports. The company is positioning the release at affiliate teams that manage high payout volumes and frequent reconciliation work.

The update introduces a dedicated finance page for each affiliate program, including program funding and balance visibility, integrated top-ups with deposit address management, and a transaction journal with filters, detail views, pagination, and CSV export. ReferOn also said the automated payout flow records conversion data (rate and amounts), syncs statuses, and creates transaction records instantly.

On controls, ReferOn said each automated payout requires explicit confirmations and 2FA before being triggered. The company added that the feature is built to support audit and compliance needs through traceable transaction logs and one-click CSV exports.

Vlad Bondarenko, Head of Product at ReferOn, commented: “In all honesty, manual crypto payments are a disaster waiting to happen. When teams are afraid of entering the wrong address, making a double payment, or organising ever-growing spreadsheets, the team environment turns conservative and reactive. Our new crypto finance layer eliminates this confusion by providing managers with a comprehensive, centralised hub that automates the manual via integrated payment partners. This feature isn’t about offering affiliates a fancy new payment method or automating for the sake of it, it’s about freeing you up to run a revamped financial operation.”

The post ReferOn adds crypto finance layer to automate affiliate payouts appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.