SciPlay Corporation, a leading developer and publisher of digital games on mobile and web platforms, has announced it has acquired Alictus, a global developer and publisher of popular, casual mobile games, in an all-cash transaction that will advance SciPlay’s strategy to become a diversified global game developer.
SciPlay is acquiring 80% of Alictus for $100 million in a cash payment that is not subject to financing. Over the next five years, SciPlay will acquire the remaining 20% of Alictus in equal installments, which will range from, in aggregate, $0 to $200 million, with valuations based on specific revenue and profitability targets.
Founded in 2013 and based in Ankara, Turkey, Alictus is a proven and profitable developer of chart-topping hyper-casual games with a sophisticated in-app advertising business model. Alictus has a highly disciplined and efficient game development process that combines a data-driven approach and best-in-class creative capabilities to drive a high new game success rate. Since 2019, Alictus has developed and published a portfolio of top-ranked games that have generated more than 300 million total downloads to date.
“We are incredibly excited to continue our expansion in the casual space and partner with a proven leader like Alictus that boasts an impressive, unique culture and an extraordinary track record of delivering chart-topping games. The hyper-casual market is a natural expansion for SciPlay with game mechanics and player demographics that are similar to those across casual genres in which we already operate and are growing our presence. This acquisition provides SciPlay an entry point into this market with a highly talented team and a robust pipeline of hyper-casual games, helping us to diversify into the in-app advertising business model and participate in the massive and fast-growing mobile advertising market. The powerful combination of Alictus’s hyper-casual expertise with our industry-leading live services and meta capabilities positions us to expand our market share by developing hit games with compelling game-play, driving further player engagement and enhanced revenue and profitability,” Josh Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of SciPlay, said.
“Alictus has built one of the leading hyper-casual game businesses in the world, and together with my co-Founder and COO Ecem Baran, we are thrilled to be joining forces with SciPlay at this important point in our growth trajectory. With SciPlay’s best-in-class live services capabilities, data analytics platform and resources, we will be able to accelerate the development of hit games while attracting a whole new universe of players. Alictus’s culture builds on determination and progression, and I want to thank our team for their effort and dedication that made this partnership possible. I am confident that with SciPlay, our team will step up to create and thrive in our next phase of growth,” Emre Taş, CEO and Co-Founder of Alictus, said.
