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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.”

Brasilia

BiS Brasília focuses on responsible governance for Brazil’s gaming and betting future

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

bis-brasilia-focuses-on-responsible-governance-for-brazil’s-gaming-and-betting-future

BiS Brasília is confirmed for June 2–3, bringing a strong focus on responsible governance and the future of the gaming and betting industry in Brazil.

The event will take place on June 2–3 at the Royal Tulip Brasília Alvorada hotel.

The event will gather key stakeholders, authorities, and industry leaders to discuss major developments shaping the sector.

In its second edition, the event expects a 20% increase in attendance compared to last year.

“Reaching the second edition of BiS Brasília represents the consolidation of an essential space for dialogue between the private sector, authorities, and experts at a decisive moment for the Brazilian market.

Brasília is the center of the country’s major regulatory discussions, and bringing together key ecosystem players in the federal capital reinforces the event’s commitment to building a more transparent, responsible, and sustainable industry,” said Alessandro Valente, the cofounder.

Tickets are available at: https://brazilianigamingsummit.com/brasilia/

About BiS Brasília

In its second edition, BiS Brasília is an event dedicated to the iGaming and betting ecosystem, fostering dialogue between the private sector, public authorities, and society on the development of Brazil’s regulated market for gaming, casinos, and lotteries.

The event brings together business leaders, regulators, and industry experts to discuss key strategic topics such as Brazilian regulation, taxation, integrity, innovation, responsible gaming, compliance, AML / anti-money laundering, licensing, sports integrity, government relations, advertising, and CONAR standards.

BiS SiGMA South America is part of the SiGMA World events portfolio, one of the leading global platforms for B2B business networking and events focused on the gaming and betting industry.

The post BiS Brasília focuses on responsible governance for Brazil’s gaming and betting future appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

AML

BiS Brasília ya tiene definido tema central para el próximo evento

Published

3 hours ago

May 13, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

bis-brasilia-ya-tiene-definido-tema-central-para-el-proximo-evento

El BiS Brasília ya tiene definido el tema central para la próxima edición y será la gobernanza responsable para el futuro de los juegos y las apuestas en Brasil.

El evento se celebrará los días 2 y 3 de junio en el hotel Royal Tulip Brasília Alvorada.

BiS Brasília está confirmado para los días 2 y 3 de junio, con un enfoque en la gobernanza responsable del futuro del sector de juegos y apuestas en Brasil.

El encuentro reunirá a autoridades, líderes y expertos para debatir las principales novedades del sector.

En su segunda edición, el evento espera un crecimiento del 20% en la asistencia en comparación con el año anterior.

“Llegar a la segunda edición del BiS Brasília representa la consolidación de un espacio esencial para el diálogo entre el sector privado, las autoridades y los especialistas en un momento decisivo para el mercado brasileño.

Brasília es el centro de las grandes discusiones regulatorias del país, y reunir a los principales actores de este ecosistema en la capital federal refuerza el compromiso del evento con la construcción de un entorno cada vez más transparente, responsable y sostenible para la industria”, destacó Alessandro Valente.

Los interesados pueden adquirir sus entradas en: https://brazilianigamingsummit.com/brasilia/

Sobre BiS Brasília

En su segunda edición, BiS Brasília es un encuentro dedicado al ecosistema de iGaming y apuestas, promoviendo el diálogo entre el sector privado, el poder público y la sociedad sobre el desarrollo del mercado regulado de juegos, casinos y loterías en Brasil.

El evento reúne a líderes empresariales, autoridades y expertos para debatir temas estratégicos como regulación brasileña, tributación, integridad, innovación, juego responsable, compliance, AML / prevención de lavado de dinero, licenciamiento, integridad deportiva, relación con el Gobierno, publicidad y CONAR.

BiS SiGMA South America forma parte del portafolio de eventos de SiGMA World, una de las principales plataformas globales de negocios y organización de eventos B2B enfocados en la industria de juegos y apuestas.

The post BiS Brasília ya tiene definido tema central para el próximo evento appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Boomerang Partners

Boomerang Partners reveals first Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 leaders in the race for Wimbledon

Published

4 hours ago

May 13, 2026

Wladimir P.

boomerang-partners-reveals-first-golden-boomerang-awards-2026-leaders-in-the-race-for-wimbledon

Boomerang Partners has shared the first leaderboard results from the Kickoff stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026. One month into the tournament’s third season, the first frontrunners have appeared in the race for the stage’s main prize – a trip to the Wimbledon Championships.

The race for Wimbledon starts to take shape

The Kickoff stage has started at a fast pace. After the first month, the leading team has reached 256 points. The rest of the top five currently stand at 218, 156, 142, and 100 points, followed by teams with 93, 62, 30, 26, and 20 points in the top ten.

The early gap is not only about traffic volume. The top teams are also actively using boosts, special tasks, and stage-based opportunities. For the rest of the field, leaving those mechanics unused can quickly turn into lost points.

For now, the top ten are closest to the stage’s main prize – a trip to the Wimbledon Championships, taking place from June 29 to July 12, 2026. But the Kickoff stage runs until June 9, and May leaves enough room for movement. Several major sports events are still ahead, giving active teams more opportunities to earn points before the stage closes.

The Mystery Box draw looks ahead to football summer

Boomerang Partners is also running the first Mystery Box draw during the Kickoff stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026. This mechanic is separate from the leaderboard: five active participants have already been selected at random, with another five to be named by the end of the month. The first Mystery Boxes go to Zitora Agency, AskGamblers & Gentoo Media, alfa:search, Gdc group, and AskBonus.

The Mystery Box is tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, although Boomerang Partners is not revealing the full contents in advance. For now, the company is only hinting at exclusive football items connected to national teams competing in the tournament.

The next stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 will run during one of the busiest football periods of the year. By then, the Mystery Box will have a direct connection to what many fans will be watching most closely – the FIFA World Cup.

May brings more room to move

May is the busiest part of the Kickoff stage. The month brings the decisive rounds of European football competitions, the NBA and NHL playoffs, Roland Garros, and other events that tend to concentrate audience interest around key match days.

For affiliate teams, this is where planning becomes important. A steady flow of traffic is useful, but the bigger gains are likely to come from choosing the right days to push, completing additional tasks, and using the remaining point-earning opportunities before June 9.

The first month has shown who started strongest. May will show who can keep that pace – and who can use the final stretch to move closer to Wimbledon.

Kristina Shkredova, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented: “The first month has shown that teams are treating the Kickoff stage as a real competition, not just a short campaign. The leading positions are already backed by a clear strategy: teams are using boosts, planning around sports peaks, and staying active across different mechanics. But this is exactly why the stage is still open. In May, one well-timed push can change a team’s position quickly, so consistency and timing will matter as much as the current point gap.”

The road to London remains open

The Kickoff stage of the Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 continues until June 9. Until then, the leaderboard remains open, with updates on the stage results, the remaining Mystery Box winners, and the race for the main prize in London available on the official Golden Boomerang Awards website.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards – a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The Agency’s clients’ portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide incentive programs and 24/7 multilingual support.

References to Wimbledon, FIFA, and other third-party brands are made for descriptive purposes only. Boomerang Partners is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to these entities in any way.

Boomerang Partners acts as an Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. Any experiences related to AC Milan are provided within the scope of this partnership.

The post Boomerang Partners reveals first Golden Boomerang Awards 2026 leaders in the race for Wimbledon appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.