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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.”

Blueprint Gaming

Blueprint Gaming rolls out Rapid Fire Jackpots to NetBet UK

Published

30 minutes ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

blueprint-gaming-rolls-out-rapid-fire-jackpots-to-netbet-uk

The expanded integration will bring Blueprint’s full Rapid Fire Jackpots portfolio into NetBet’s casino lobby over time.

Blueprint Gaming has expanded its partnership with UK-facing operator NetBet by rolling out its Rapid Fire Jackpots progressive jackpot content to the operator’s casino lobby.

The companies first partnered in 2025, with NetBet already offering Blueprint releases including Fishin’ Frenzy Lure ‘Em In, Eye of Horus and King Kong Cash. NetBet has also run a selection of Rapid Fire Jackpots titles, including Fishin’ Frenzy Big Catch 3, The Goonies Quest for Treasure 2 and Fishin’ Frenzy Even Bigger Fish 2.

Under the extended collaboration, Blueprint said the entire Rapid Fire Jackpots portfolio will be integrated into NetBet’s casino lobby over time, starting with an initial batch of titles now made available to NetBet players.

Rapid Fire Jackpots launched in June 2024 and is positioned by Blueprint as a complementary mechanic to its Jackpot King product, designed to deliver more frequent jackpot wins. Jack Lawson, Senior Account Manager at Blueprint Gaming, said: “Rapid Fire Jackpots has added a new dimension to our portfolio since launch, giving players access to more frequent jackpot drops alongside the premium gameplay experiences our content is known for.

“Expanding the rollout of the mechanic with NetBet allows us to build on the strong momentum already generated through our partnership, while further cementing our position as a leading supplier in the UK market.” Claudia Georgevici, PR Manager at NetBet Casino, said: “Blueprint Gaming’s titles have proven to be a strong addition to our casino lobby over the past year, and the integration of Rapid Fire Jackpots is set to further boost that offering.

“The mechanic’s combination of achievable, frequent jackpot wins and engaging gameplay delivers exactly the type of experience that resonates with our players, making it a valuable addition to our growing content selection.”

The post Blueprint Gaming rolls out Rapid Fire Jackpots to NetBet UK appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt

Swintt launches Elysium Studios slots on Kaizen Gaming’s Stoiximan.gr

Published

1 hour ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

swintt-launches-elysium-studios-slots-on-kaizen-gaming’s-stoiximan.gr

15 titles are live in Greece, with more Elysium Studios releases scheduled to follow.

Swintt has rolled out a selection of Elysium Studios slot content on Stoiximan.gr, expanding its distribution in Greece through a partnership with Kaizen Gaming.

The supplier said 15 titles are already live on the Stoiximan platform. Games named in the announcement include I Hate Fairytales and Law of Gilgamesh, with additional Elysium Studios releases due to be added later.

Anthony Dalla-Giacoma, Chief Commercial Officer at Swintt, said: “We’re delighted to see our games go live with another brand in the Kaizen Gaming portfolio, especially as this latest launch takes us to Greece, where Stoiximan.gr is widely recognised as a market leader.

“With its strong reputation and extensive player base, Stoiximan.gr is the perfect platform for us to introduce more Greek players to Elysium Studios content. With 15 titles already live and more to come, we’re confident our games will add real value to the operator’s casino offering and help drive strong engagement among its players.”

The post Swintt launches Elysium Studios slots on Kaizen Gaming’s Stoiximan.gr appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

central asia

Groove confirms attendance at SBC Summit Tbilisi 2026

Published

1 hour ago

July 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

groove-confirms-attendance-at-sbc-summit-tbilisi-2026

Groove has confirmed it will attend SBC Summit Tbilisi 2026, scheduled for 15–16 July at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace, as it targets growth across Eastern European and Central Asian iGaming markets.

The conference is expected to draw more than 2,500 industry professionals, according to the company, following 2025’s record attendance with delegates from 44 countries. Groove said it will bring a full commercial delegation to pursue partnerships with regional operators.

Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, said: “Eastern Europe and Central Asia represent some of the most dynamic growth opportunities in iGaming today. SBC Summit Tbilisi is where the region’s decision-makers converge, and we are arriving with a platform built for scale, speed, and regulatory precision.” He added: “Our Unseen Architecture of predictive auto-scaling, atomic transactions, and a real-time compliance mesh ensures operators can launch fast and adapt locally, whether they are entering Georgia, the Balkans, the Baltics, or Central Asia.”

Meltzer also pointed to the SBC Regulators Summit as a factor in the company’s focus on the event, saying: “With regulation front and centre as a business-critical priority, and direct access to regulators through the SBC Regulators Summit, this event is where commercial realities are forged. Groove delivers the toolbox, the content, and the expertise to turn ambition into measurable growth.”

Ana Sokhadze, Operations Manager at Groove, who will lead the company’s presence in Tbilisi, said: “SBC Summit Tbilisi is the meeting point for the region’s most ambitious operators, affiliates, and technology suppliers. This is where high-value networking translates into real commercial opportunity.” She added: “We are not here to hand out brochures. We are here to have conversations that become partnerships.”

The post Groove confirms attendance at SBC Summit Tbilisi 2026 appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.