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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.”

BLAST

Fortnite Championship Series Major 1 Summit heads to Düsseldorf for the first time

Published

1 hour ago

February 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

fortnite-championship-series-major-1-summit-heads-to-dusseldorf-for-the-first-time

Epic Games and BLAST have today announced that the first Fortnite Championship Series (FNCS) LAN of the year is heading to Düsseldorf, Germany for the very first time.

The Fortnite Major 1 Summit will take place live inside the PSD Bank Dome on May 30 and 31, 2026. In the heart of Western Germany, Fortnite will take over the state-of-the-art PSD Bank Dome Arena, home of the Düsseldorfer EG hockey team, for two days of thrilling Fortnite action.

The top duos from all seven regions will battle live to be crowned Fortnite Major 1 Summit champions, take home a share of the $1,000,000 prize pool, and secure a spot at the Fortnite Global Championship later this year.

As one of Europe’s largest gaming markets and a frequent host of international esports tournaments, Germany has long played a central role in the global competitive scene. Located in the country’s most populous state and one of its most connected regions, Düsseldorf provides a fitting backdrop for the first FNCS LAN of the competitive season.

Tickets go on general sale March 2 at 4 AM ET / 10 AM CET on Eventim. More ticket information can be found here: Eventim Fortnite Major 1 Summit

The post Fortnite Championship Series Major 1 Summit heads to Düsseldorf for the first time appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alex Green Vice President Games at ZEAL

Wunderino Adds ZEAL’s Premium Slots as Partnership Kicks Off

Published

1 hour ago

February 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

wunderino-adds-zeal’s-premium-slots-as-partnership-kicks-off

ZEAL Instant Games, part of the ZEAL Group and an online gaming provider, has initiated a new partnership with Wunderino, a prominent online slot brand in Germany. As a part of the collaboration, Wunderino is enhancing its entertainment portfolio with a forthcoming increasing range of ZEAL slots. The initial titles are now active and accessible to players on Wunderino.de.

Increased diversity for gamers – enhanced exposure for premium titles.

The new collaboration brings evident benefits for both firms: Wunderino is boosting its online gaming selection with ZEAL content, further solidifying its status as an innovation-focused provider in the German iGaming sector. Simultaneously, ZEAL Instant Games leverages Wunderino’s robust brand visibility and influence, reaching new audiences.

At launch, well-known titles like “The Bookmaker,” “Treasure Volcano,” and “Vegas Blaze” are included in the first batch of games already offered. The objective is to enhance the portfolio by adding more new games in the upcoming months.

Comments regarding the partnership

“With Wunderino, we are gaining a partner that has stood for entertainment, dynamism, and a strong brand identity for many years,” says Alex Green, Vice President Games at ZEAL. “Integrating our titles into one of the most popular platforms in Germany is another important step in making our portfolio accessible to even more players and driving our strategic expansion.”

Wunderino adds: “ZEAL Instant Games stands for creative content, high quality, and reliable performance – all values that perfectly match our brand,” says Susanne Forsman, Group Chief Gaming Officer at Wunderino. “The new ZEAL slots will help enrich our offerings and provide our users with additional exciting experiences. We are very excited about the joint launch and what lies ahead.”

The post Wunderino Adds ZEAL’s Premium Slots as Partnership Kicks Off appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Hubster AI

Vegangster’s Hubster AI Enables Brands to Launch Without a Single Support Ticket

Published

1 hour ago

February 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

vegangster’s-hubster-ai-enables-brands-to-launch-without-a-single-support-ticket

Vegangster has introduced Hubster AI, a built-in conversational assistant designed to simplify platform setup and daily operations for operators. The tool allows clients to ask practical questions about platform features and receive instant, structured, step-by-step guidance.

Unlike traditional support models that rely on account manager availability and ticket queues, Hubster AI operates 24/7 and supports all major languages. Operators can configure features, adjust settings, and navigate workflows independently—without waiting for working hours.

Hubster AI provides detailed operational guidance across the entire platform, including:

Player Account Management
Bonus and promotion setup
Game and lobby management
CRM workflows
CMS and content updates
Reporting and analytics

Each response delivers clear instructions and, where relevant, direct access to pre-recorded video walkthroughs demonstrating the exact process.

Several brands have already completed onboarding and platform configuration without submitting setup tickets, relying entirely on Hubster AI for operational guidance.

“My idea is to make complex things simple,” said Tatjana Danevica, Product Operations Specialist at Vegangster. “Operators should not deeply need technical expertise or constant support interaction to launch and manage a brand. Hubster AI turns platform knowledge into an always-available guide, removing friction and allowing teams to move.”

Hubster AI forms part of Vegangster’s broader strategy to eliminate the skill barrier in iGaming by turning complex platform knowledge into instant, practical guidance operators can use in real time.

About Vegangster

Vegangster provides a full-stack iGaming platform engineered for speed, scalability, and operator control. Its turnkey and white-label solutions integrate casino content, payments, CRM, compliance, and engagement tools into a single mobile-first system.

Press Contact
Romans Kozlovskis
[email protected]

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