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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.”

energy drinks

Team Vitality names FYZIO official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier

Published

3 hours ago

May 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

team-vitality-names-fyzio-official-sports-nutrition-and-energy-drinks-supplier

Multi-year deal adds Laboratoires Gilbert’s new brand to jerseys across CS2, VALORANT, Rocket League and LoL teams ahead of a September 2026 launch.

Team Vitality has signed a multi-year partnership with FYZIO, naming the brand its new official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier. FYZIO is a sports nutrition and hydration brand developed by Laboratoires Gilbert, a French healthcare company established in 1904.

The partnership will put FYZIO branding on the left sleeve of Team Vitality’s official jerseys for several flagship rosters, including CS2, VALORANT (VCT), Rocket League, and League of Legends teams across the LEC, LFL, and Rising Bees. FYZIO will also support Team Vitality teams competing in Teamfight Tactics, Tekken, and Trackmania.

FYZIO is scheduled to launch in September 2026. Team Vitality said the brand will supply products intended to support areas including hydration, fatigue and stress reduction, concentration and memory, and sleep quality.

“We are delighted to announce this partnership with FYZIO and proud to support the launch of this ambitious new brand from the French group, Laboratoires Gilbert. By integrating its specialised nutrition products into our teams’ routines, we are further strengthening our commitment to high-performance excellence,” comments Vas Roberts, Co-CEO of Team Vitality.

“For more than 120 years, Laboratoires Gilbert has been developing solutions dedicated to health and well-being. With FYZIO, we are bringing this expertise to a new ambition: helping everyone achieve their goals, whatever they may be, through a modern, accessible, and responsible approach to sports nutrition. Our partnership with Team Vitality reflects this shared vision of progress, high standards, and sustainable performance. Your performance, our nature“, explains Cédric Batteur, Chairman & CEO, Laboratoires Gilbert.

The post Team Vitality names FYZIO official sports nutrition and energy drinks supplier appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

AffPapa iGaming Awards 2026

Boomerang Partners have been shortlisted for two categories at the AffPapa iGaming Awards 2026

Published

10 hours ago

May 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

boomerang-partners-have-been-shortlisted-for-two-categories-at-the-affpapa-igaming-awards-2026

Boomerang Partners, a rapidly growing affiliate gambling and betting marketing agency, was shortlisted in two categories at the AffPapa iGaming Awards 2026. It is one of the industry’s most prestigious awards for affiliate teams, operators, and B2B providers worldwide. The winners in nearly 40 categories will be determined by online voting and revealed on May 20.

Affiliate Program Of The Year

Boomerang Partners is nominated in the Affiliate Program of the Year category, reflecting its growth and position as a sports-focused affiliate program.

In nearly five years, the company has scaled to more than 3,000 affiliate partners and serves a clients’ portfolio of 10+ brands. Over the past year, the partner network grew by 10% YoY, while the expansion of clients’ product portfolio led to a nearly 1.5x increase in users.

The company’s strategy is built around deep sports expertise, in-house analytics, and a personalized approach to each partner. This is complemented by partner engagement initiatives such as the TIME TO WIN tournament and the Golden Boomerang Awards, a global affiliate tournament that brought together over 400 teams in the 2025 season. Its third season runs from April 3 to August 31, 2026. It is divided into three stages (each with its own main prize). The final and awards ceremony in 11 categories will take place in September during the SBC Summit in Lisbon.

Woman Leader Of The Year

Liliia Sudachenko, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, is nominated for the Woman Leader Of The Year award in recognition of her contribution to the company’s growth and her work with affiliate partners.

In her role, she focuses on building long-term relationships with affiliate partners, with a strong emphasis on a personalized approach – one of the core principles of Boomerang Partners’ strategy. Liliia is also actively involved in representing the company within the industry. In 2025, she became one of Boomerang Partners’ most active media contributors after the C-level team, taking part in multiple interviews with industry publications.

Liliia Sudachenko, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented: “It’s great to see our work recognized with these AffPapa iGaming Awards nominations. For us, it’s a reflection of the team’s effort and the way we build relationships with our partners. We invest a lot in analytics, partner support, and the development of initiatives that help affiliates grow, and it’s good to see that this approach resonates. At the same time, we have ambitious goals ahead and will continue to scale and strengthen our position as a sports-focused affiliate program.”

The official AffPapa iGaming Awards 2026 ceremony will take place on May 20. The event will be held at the Real Casino de Madrid.

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.

The post Boomerang Partners have been shortlisted for two categories at the AffPapa iGaming Awards 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Cubeia

Vera & John International goes live with Cubeia Originals Studio games

Published

10 hours ago

May 19, 2026

Wladimir P.

vera-&-john-international-goes-live-with-cubeia-originals-studio-games

Sweden-based supplier Cubeia integrates its proprietary, brandable Originals content into the operator’s offering.

Vera & John International has gone live with Cubeia’s Originals Studio games, integrating the Sweden-based supplier’s proprietary titles into its player offering.

Cubeia said the launch gives the operator access to fully brandable in-house games aimed at supporting engagement and retention. The supplier positioned the Originals portfolio around “provably fair mechanics, gamification elements, and community-driven gameplay,” and said it includes crash and instant-win formats.

Tobias Fogelberg, Chief Commercial Officer at Cubeia, said: “We’re proud to see Vera & John International go live with our Originals. This is exactly what we’ve been building towards—giving operators something that feels truly their own, not just another catalogue of the same games everyone else has.

“The flexibility and branding possibilities are a big part of it, but it’s also about creating games that players actually want to come back to. That’s where Originals make a real difference.”

Cubeia also linked the rollout to its wider product stack, including its Cubeia Nano platform, which it said is designed to give operators “full control” and scalability. The company added it will continue investing in Originals Studio and plans to expand the portfolio with additional titles and features.

The post Vera & John International goes live with Cubeia Originals Studio games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.