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Opera buys owner of GameMaker and starts a Gaming division
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.”
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Willemstad, Curacao, June 10th, 2026
New hero video brings together four football icons as Stake aims to place fans at the centre of the global football conversation
Stake Unveils Ambassador-Led Football Campaign
Stake has unveiled a new international football campaign featuring brand ambassadors Iker Casillas, Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard and Patrice Evra, bringing together four of the game’s most recognisable figures in a hero video designed to capture the anticipation, excitement and emotion surrounding one of football’s biggest global tournaments.
The campaign, titled “It’s All At Stake”, forms part of Stake’s wider strategy to engage football fans across key international markets during a period expected to dominate sporting and cultural conversations around the world. The full campaign film is now available to watch on YouTube.
Four Football Icons, One Global Campaign
Created in partnership with specialist production teams, the campaign follows the four former internationals as they navigate the excitement, pressure and unpredictability that make major football tournaments such a unique global spectacle.
Combining humour, personality and football nostalgia, the creative reflects Stake’s continued investment in culturally relevant content that resonates with sports fans beyond the action on the pitch.
The campaign marks the first time Casillas, Agüero, Hazard and Evra have appeared together in a Stake production. Collectively, the quartet represent some of football’s most memorable moments of the modern era, having won major domestic, European and international honours throughout their careers.
Multi-Channel Distribution Strategy
The hero film is being distributed across Stake’s digital channels, including YouTube, Instagram and X, supported by ambassador amplification and additional promotional activity across international markets.
Alongside the main campaign film, Stake has released supporting social content across its channels, including an Instagram Reel showcasing key moments from the campaign.
The campaign has also been amplified through Stake’s official X account, where football fans can engage with and share campaign content.
The campaign has been designed to drive engagement among football audiences while reinforcing Stake’s position as one of the most visible brands operating within the sports and entertainment space.
Connecting Fans Through Football’s Biggest Moments
Football remains one of the world’s most powerful cultural forces, bringing together hundreds of millions of fans across continents, languages and generations.
Through its growing roster of ambassador partnerships and football-focused content initiatives, Stake continues to invest in campaigns that connect with supporters during the sport’s most significant moments.
The launch follows a period of sustained growth in Stake’s global sports marketing activity. By working with internationally recognised athletes and creating original content around major sporting events, the company has continued to strengthen its presence among football audiences worldwide.
As anticipation builds throughout the tournament period, Stake’s latest campaign aims to celebrate the passion, conversation and shared experiences that make football’s biggest occasions so memorable for fans everywhere.
About Stake
Stake is one of the world’s leading betting and entertainment brands, serving millions of customers across regulated and permitted markets globally. Through strategic partnerships, ambassador collaborations and original content initiatives, Stake continues to connect fans with sport’s biggest moments across football, combat sports, motorsport and other major sporting events.
Contact
Stake
The post Stake Unveils Global Football Campaign with Casillas, Agüero, Hazard and Evra appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Willemstad, Curacao, June 10th, 2026
New hero video brings together four football icons as Stake aims to place fans at the centre of the global football conversation
Stake Unveils Ambassador-Led Football Campaign
Stake has unveiled a new international football campaign featuring brand ambassadors Iker Casillas, Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard and Patrice Evra, bringing together four of the game’s most recognisable figures in a hero video designed to capture the anticipation, excitement and emotion surrounding one of football’s biggest global tournaments.
The campaign, titled “It’s All At Stake”, forms part of Stake’s wider strategy to engage football fans across key international markets during a period expected to dominate sporting and cultural conversations around the world. The full campaign film is now available to watch on YouTube.
Four Football Icons, One Global Campaign
Created in partnership with specialist production teams, the campaign follows the four former internationals as they navigate the excitement, pressure and unpredictability that make major football tournaments such a unique global spectacle.
Combining humour, personality and football nostalgia, the creative reflects Stake’s continued investment in culturally relevant content that resonates with sports fans beyond the action on the pitch.
The campaign marks the first time Casillas, Agüero, Hazard and Evra have appeared together in a Stake production. Collectively, the quartet represent some of football’s most memorable moments of the modern era, having won major domestic, European and international honours throughout their careers.
Multi-Channel Distribution Strategy
The hero film is being distributed across Stake’s digital channels, including YouTube, Instagram and X, supported by ambassador amplification and additional promotional activity across international markets.
Alongside the main campaign film, Stake has released supporting social content across its channels, including an Instagram Reel showcasing key moments from the campaign.
The campaign has also been amplified through Stake’s official X account, where football fans can engage with and share campaign content.
The campaign has been designed to drive engagement among football audiences while reinforcing Stake’s position as one of the most visible brands operating within the sports and entertainment space.
Connecting Fans Through Football’s Biggest Moments
Football remains one of the world’s most powerful cultural forces, bringing together hundreds of millions of fans across continents, languages and generations.
Through its growing roster of ambassador partnerships and football-focused content initiatives, Stake continues to invest in campaigns that connect with supporters during the sport’s most significant moments.
The launch follows a period of sustained growth in Stake’s global sports marketing activity. By working with internationally recognised athletes and creating original content around major sporting events, the company has continued to strengthen its presence among football audiences worldwide.
As anticipation builds throughout the tournament period, Stake’s latest campaign aims to celebrate the passion, conversation and shared experiences that make football’s biggest occasions so memorable for fans everywhere.
About Stake
Stake is one of the world’s leading betting and entertainment brands, serving millions of customers across regulated and permitted markets globally. Through strategic partnerships, ambassador collaborations and original content initiatives, Stake continues to connect fans with sport’s biggest moments across football, combat sports, motorsport and other major sporting events.
Contact
Stake
The post Stake Unveils Global Football Campaign with Casillas, Agüero, Hazard and Evra appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Willemstad, Curacao, June 10th, 2026
New hero video brings together four football icons as Stake aims to place fans at the centre of the global football conversation
Stake Unveils Ambassador-Led Football Campaign
Stake has unveiled a new international football campaign featuring brand ambassadors Iker Casillas, Sergio Agüero, Eden Hazard and Patrice Evra, bringing together four of the game’s most recognisable figures in a hero video designed to capture the anticipation, excitement and emotion surrounding one of football’s biggest global tournaments.
The campaign, titled “It’s All At Stake”, forms part of Stake’s wider strategy to engage football fans across key international markets during a period expected to dominate sporting and cultural conversations around the world. The full campaign film is now available to watch on YouTube.
Four Football Icons, One Global Campaign
Created in partnership with specialist production teams, the campaign follows the four former internationals as they navigate the excitement, pressure and unpredictability that make major football tournaments such a unique global spectacle.
Combining humour, personality and football nostalgia, the creative reflects Stake’s continued investment in culturally relevant content that resonates with sports fans beyond the action on the pitch.
The campaign marks the first time Casillas, Agüero, Hazard and Evra have appeared together in a Stake production. Collectively, the quartet represent some of football’s most memorable moments of the modern era, having won major domestic, European and international honours throughout their careers.
Multi-Channel Distribution Strategy
The hero film is being distributed across Stake’s digital channels, including YouTube, Instagram and X, supported by ambassador amplification and additional promotional activity across international markets.
Alongside the main campaign film, Stake has released supporting social content across its channels, including an Instagram Reel showcasing key moments from the campaign.
The campaign has also been amplified through Stake’s official X account, where football fans can engage with and share campaign content.
The campaign has been designed to drive engagement among football audiences while reinforcing Stake’s position as one of the most visible brands operating within the sports and entertainment space.
Connecting Fans Through Football’s Biggest Moments
Football remains one of the world’s most powerful cultural forces, bringing together hundreds of millions of fans across continents, languages and generations.
Through its growing roster of ambassador partnerships and football-focused content initiatives, Stake continues to invest in campaigns that connect with supporters during the sport’s most significant moments.
The launch follows a period of sustained growth in Stake’s global sports marketing activity. By working with internationally recognised athletes and creating original content around major sporting events, the company has continued to strengthen its presence among football audiences worldwide.
As anticipation builds throughout the tournament period, Stake’s latest campaign aims to celebrate the passion, conversation and shared experiences that make football’s biggest occasions so memorable for fans everywhere.
About Stake
Stake is one of the world’s leading betting and entertainment brands, serving millions of customers across regulated and permitted markets globally. Through strategic partnerships, ambassador collaborations and original content initiatives, Stake continues to connect fans with sport’s biggest moments across football, combat sports, motorsport and other major sporting events.
Contact
Stake
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