Electronic Arts is set to purchase Playdemic, a mobile game development studio owned by Warner Bros. Games.
Announced via its EA Newsroom blog, Electronic Arts will acquire Playdemic for $1.4 billion. This follows the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger which is set to be finalized in 2022. Playdemic is mostly known for Golf Clash, a popular mobile game that currently sits on 80 million downloads between the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
David Haddad, President of Warner Bros. Games, said of the acquisition, "We have enjoyed working with the talented team at Playdemic as they have grown Golf Clash beyond all expectations into a hit mobile game with tremendous longevity. While we have great respect for the Playdemic team, our decision to divest is a part of our overall strategy to build games based on Warner Bros. storied franchises."
"Playdemic is a team of true innovators, and we’re thrilled to have them join the Electronic Arts family," said Andrew Wilson, CEO of Electronic Arts. "In addition to the ongoing success of Golf Clash, the talent, technology and expertise of Playdemic will be a powerful combination with our teams and IP at Electronic Arts."
The acquisition of Playdemic follows EA's commitment to live-service gaming experiences. Electronic Arts has seen great success with live-service games like Apex Legends and FIFA Ultimate Team, despite a few commercial and critical failures along the way. Bioware's Anthem was once envisioned as EA's next major franchise before disappointing sales numbers and a dwindling player base resulted in the cancellation of the game's reinvention. The acquisition of Playdemic not only advances EA's live-service model but helps grow its dedicated mobile games division.
Paul Gouge, CEO of Playdemic, stated that the studio will continue to support and grow Golf Clash following the acquisition. "We founded Playdemic with a focus on creating highly engaging and innovative game experiences. Our success with Golf Clash has proven our approach and demonstrated the ability of our incredibly talented teams to develop and operate best in class mobile games."
Golf Clash is a mobile multiplayer game that sees players competing against one another in a variety of golf events. The game has received several notable awards, including a BAFTA for "Best Mobile Game" in 2018.
Developed by Playdemic, Golf Clash is available for free, with in-app transactions, on Android and iOS devices.
Source: Electronic Arts