Scopely paid over $1bn for a majority stake in Loom Video games.
AR and XR {hardware} dominated non-public financing.
GTA 6’s November 2026 launch is anticipated to spice up gaming fairness sentiment.
AI, UGC, and AR are flagged as the highest funding themes for the remainder of 2026.
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Video games business M&A success a 15-month excessive in Q1 2026 with 51 offers and over $100 billion in disclosed worth, pushed by Savvy Video games’ $6bn acquisition of Moonton.
That’s in line with Drake Star’s International Gaming Report Q1 2026, which discovered that total deal worth was pushed primarily by Paramount’s deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery and its video games division.Â
Different notable acquisitions included Scopely’s majority stake in Loom Video games at over $1bn and NCSoft’s $202 million buy of JustPlay. Nazara additionally acquired a controlling stake in Bluetile Video games, whereas Mattel purchased out NetEase’s share in Mattel163.
Furthermore, the report confirmed that non-public financing noticed 106 offers totalling $785m with AR and XR {hardware} main exercise. RayNeo raised $143m adopted by Xreal and Viture, every securing $100m. Different notable rounds embody Ares Interactive at $70m and VAST at $50m.
Constructive M&A outlook
The report additionally discovered that public market exercise was anchored by main refinancings from Gentle & Marvel and Playtika, whereas Hasbro and LY Company expanded their gaming investments.
Trying forward, the outlook for video games M&A in 2026 stays sturdy, with mid-market deal circulation anticipated to remain lively alongside choose large-scale transactions.Â
The report flags GTA 6, now focused for November nineteenth 2026, as a possible catalyst for gaming fairness sentiment. AI, UGC, and AR are anticipated to guide funding themes whereas Discord and PlaySimple are eyeing potential IPOs.
You possibly can entry the total report right here.Â
