Latest News

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.”

Damjan Stamenkovic

Expanse Studios Announces Strategic Partnership with ESA Gaming

Published

13 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

expanse-studios-announces-strategic-partnership-with-esa-gaming

Expanse Studios, a leading B2B iGaming content provider and subsidiary of Golden Matrix Group Inc. announced a strategic partnership with ESA Gaming, an established European aggregation platform specialising in mobile-first gaming content and multi-jurisdictional distribution.

The partnership marks a significant milestone in Expanse Studios’ European expansion and strengthens Golden Matrix Group’s broader B2B distribution objectives. The agreement positions Expanse’s proprietary content across ESA Gaming’s operator network.

ESA Gaming operates a comprehensive Game Aggregator System (GAS) serving over 90 content providers across multiple European markets, with established certifications in Malta, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Colombia and Brazil. The platform maintains a Malta Gaming Authority B2B license (MGA/B2B/650/2018) and specialises in content delivery through a single technical integration as well as custom content through its OpenSlots “no code” game builder.

“ESA Gaming represents an established European aggregator with proven multi-jurisdictional capabilities and strong operator relationships across our priority markets. This partnership provides immediate Malta market access while establishing the technical and regulatory framework for more EU market entries. Our focus remains on building systematic European distribution through partnerships with aggregators and operators demonstrating regional expertise and regulatory compliance capabilities,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.

For Expanse Studios, the partnership with ESA Gaming creates multi-jurisdictional distribution infrastructure across Southern Europe’s most significant regulated markets. ESA Gaming’s top-performing markets—Italy, Portugal, Greece and Brazil—align strategically with Expanse’s priority expansion territories, where regulatory frameworks support sustainable B2B operations and certified content providers maintain competitive advantages.

The post Expanse Studios Announces Strategic Partnership with ESA Gaming appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

MiFinity Launches Premium Loyalty Programme “MiRewards”

Published

13 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

MiFinity, the award-winning global payments provider, has launched MiRewards, a premium loyalty programme designed to celebrate and reward its customers. Seamlessly integrated into the MiFinity eWallet, MiRewards transforms everyday payments, top-ups and withdrawals into MiPoints that can be redeemed in-account for cash credits and other exclusive rewards.

Free to join and effortless to use, the programme recognises long-term engagement through four distinctive tiers: Classic, Exclusive, Signature and Elite – with Signature and Elite created especially for MiFinity’s VIP customers, offering enhanced earning rates, dedicated support and exclusive invitations.

Built entirely in-house and free of any third-party software or plugins, MiRewards gives MiFinity complete control over programme design, security and future innovation – from granular earn rules to partner integrations and country-specific experiences. The result is a flexible, data-driven programme designed to deepen engagement, improve retention and add tangible value for customers and merchants across MiFinity’s supported verticals.

Paul Kavanagh, CEO of MiFinity, said: “MiRewards is the next step in MiFinity’s product evolution – a simple, transparent way to give back to customers for the transactions they already make. It reflects our ongoing commitment to rewarding loyalty and strengthening long-term relationships with our customers. Because we built the MiRewards platform ourselves, we have the freedom to keep improving it; from expanding partner offers to introducing new benefits that deepen engagement and enhance retention.”

MiRewards goes beyond traditional loyalty models by rewarding both everyday activity and key milestones. Customers earn MiPoints automatically on eligible transactions and can also collect bonus points for completing actions such as their first deposit, KYC verification, IBAN setup or card verification. This gamified approach makes the experience more interactive and rewarding, giving customers multiple ways to grow their points balance and unlock higher tiers faster.

Key Highlights:

• Always-on earning – Earn MiPoints on eligible eWallet activity automatically.

• Simple redemption – Redeem MiPoints for cash credits in a few taps, with more benefits being added over time.

• Scaled rewards – Higher tiers unlock boosted earn rates and VIP-style perks.

• Bonus opportunities – Collect extra MiPoints for completing key actions, encouraging engagement and gamification.

• Future-ready – In-house platform enables rapid iteration, partner rewards and market-specific experiences.

MiRewards enhances the overall MiFinity experience by giving customers more reasons to engage with the platform and enjoy tangible rewards for their everyday activity. For merchants and partners, that means stronger customer satisfaction, deeper trust and greater loyalty; all within a seamless, secure payment ecosystem that adds value without adding friction.

“Launching MiRewards marks an exciting milestone for MiFinity, but it’s far from the finish line. We have an ambitious roadmap of new features and partnerships ahead that will keep adding value for customers and partners worldwide,” said Paul Kavanagh, CEO of MiFinity.

The post MiFinity Launches Premium Loyalty Programme “MiRewards” appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

capital structure

Gentoo Media Secures EUR 18 Million Shareholder Loan Facility and Provides an Update on the Refinancing Process

Published

13 minutes ago

March 2, 2026

Wladimir P.

gentoo-media-secures-eur-18-million-shareholder-loan-facility-and-provides-an-update-on-the-refinancing-process

Gentoo Media announced the largest shareholders have provided a committed loan facility of EUR 18 million to the Company as part of its ongoing efforts to optimise the Group’s capital structure and enhance financial flexibility. The term sheet has been signed on 26 February 2026.

The purpose of the loan is to reduce the outstanding amount under the Company’s existing revolving credit facility (RCF) to EUR 0 million.

The terms and conditions:

• A EUR 16 million pari passu facility (Maturing 31 December 2027), carrying interest terms in line with the Company’s existing bond terms and ranking pari passu with the Company’s existing bondholders and RCF provider, covenants will be similar to existing bond terms with the expectations to bring the facility down to EUR 14 million by the end of July, and

• A EUR 2 million unsecured facility (Maturing 30 April 2027), carrying interest on terms corresponding to the existing bond terms plus 3% and no covenants requirements.

The company expects the repayment of the current RCF to take place in early March after legal documents has been finalised and signed by all parties.

Management and the Board of Directors consider this solution to be an attractive and supportive financing arrangement that underlines the continued commitment from the Company’s largest shareholders which supports long-term value creation for Gentoo Media.

Bond refinancing

Following an evaluation of market conditions and the terms indicated by investors, Gentoo Media has decided not to proceed with the contemplated bond refinancing at this time. The Company will continue to assess various refinancing alternatives and other measures to address the upcoming bond maturities.

The post Gentoo Media Secures EUR 18 Million Shareholder Loan Facility and Provides an Update on the Refinancing Process appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.