Leading video game developer and publisher, Jagex, is set to join CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments, global private equity and investment advisory firms. The terms of the deal are undisclosed. Jagex enjoyed a hugely successful 2023, with record subscribers for its RuneScape and Old School RuneScape titles and building its strong partnership with Gamepires ahead of Scum’s PC and Console launch in 2024.
Headquartered in Cambridge, Jagex employs over 700 people worldwide
and creates forever games for PC, Mobile, and Console that empower its communities. RuneScape, its flagship franchise has generated more than $1.5 billion in lifetime revenue, over its 23-year history. Jagex acquired Pipeworks and Gamepires in 2022, expanding its cross-platform capabilities and bringing its expertise in creating forever fans to SCUM, an open-world survival title in Steam Early Access.
CVC Capital Partners, headquartered in Luxembourg, is one the world’s largest private equity firms, with over €188bn assets managed within its portfolio. With investments in the global sports field, such as the Gujarat Titans, LaLiga, Lique De Football Professionnel, Premiership Rugby, and the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), CVC Capital Partners has rich form in growing fan-focused businesses on the global stage. CVC Capital Partners will support Jagex by leveraging its expertise and resources to assist the company’s continued subscriber and revenue growth, alongside its community-driven philosophy as it looks to build upon the success of RuneScape and Old School RuneScape and create more forever games under the Jagex brand.
Haveli Investments is an Austin-based private equity firm that seeks to partner with innovative companies, entrepreneurs and management teams. Haveli’s Gaming Fund has previously invested in London-based Omeda Studios, whose title Predecessor is currently in Early Access, Montreal-based Behaviour Interactive, the developer and publisher behind the hit online, genre-leading horror game Dead by Daylight and Tel Aviv-based Candivore, the developer and publisher of the category-leading mobile hit Match Masters. Jagex was acquired by Carlyle in 2021, supporting Jagex with the acquisitions of Pipeworks and Gamepires in 2022, while Jagex continued to deliver year-on-year performance gains.
Phil Mansell, CEO, Jagex, said, “I’m delighted to welcome CVC Capital Partners and Haveli Investments as strategic partners for Jagex. CVC and Haveli will help Jagex build on our portfolio of forever games, furthering our aims of supporting and growing our community of forever fans. Together we’ll create more of the experiences our fans love, innovate to empower our players further, and build new forever games that capture imaginations.” He continued, “The support from Carlyle has been exceptional, and that success has positioned Jagex for the future. With the continued growth of our flagship RuneScape franchise, we’re crafting more adventures to delight our forever fans, and we’re excited about the future, as we create new experiences that play to our strengths of putting our communities at the heart of everything we do.”
Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open, the next installment, and first full-sized game, in an award-winning anthology of creepy tales inspired by Malaysian and Chinese myths and culture will release on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch and PC later this year. Check out the new trailer and download the demo on Steam today ahead of Steam Next Fest.
Paper Ghost Stories: Third Eye Open is a coming of age story about a young girl with the ability to see spirits. Will this burgeoning power be a blessing or a curse? Will you be able to save your family and unravel the mystery at the heart of the adventure?
Befriend a youthful ghost seeking peace while exploring a haunting narrative of familial trials and frightening tribulations as Ting, a young girl who sees spirits. Balance the turmoil of growing up in a tumultuous home while contending with competing apparitions vying for Ting’s help.
Navigate difficult conversations in a branching choice-based story where supernatural dark spirits cast a light on real problems that plague living relationships.
Unravel five pivotal years of childhood in a stunning “paper theatre” world inspired by Southeast Asia’s Joss-Papercraft. Experience a surreal setting steeped in Malaysian tradition, from visiting the Morning Markets to feasting on local delicacies like Lok Lok.
Dive deeper into the Paper Ghost Stories universe today with now just the Third Eye Open demo, but also the bite-sized 7PM currently available on Xbox and Steam.
Neon Blood is a JRPG/Graphic Adventure with a 2.5D aesthetic based on the use of 2D PixelArt sprites with 3D-modeled environments.
In the year 2053, after the Third World War, humanity was reduced to a single megacity, Viridis, formed by two cities, the luxurious Bright City and the dystopian Blind City.
Axel McCoin, a detective from Blind City, will be motivated by his ideals to rebel against the injustices caused by the drastic class difference between the two cities that exist in the dystopian society they inhabit, becoming a symbol of a revolution.
Hauntii is a beguiling adventure built around a creative haunting mechanic that lets you possess the environment and the creatures that inhabit it. Once you’ve taken control, you can take on enemies using the special abilities of Hauntii’s denizens and come up with ingenious solutions to overcome the many challenges littered across the game’s enchanting world. You will be possessed by a captivating blend of exploration, puzzle solving, and twin-stick shooting, all set in a stunning hand-crafted world filled with charming characters, and underpinned with a ghostly mystery that will see you diving deep into your past.
The game is set in Eternity, a place that exists outside of space, where all souls eventually end up. No ghost can truly die in Eternity, but all can be led astray, corrupted into hellish versions of their former selves. A mysterious race of glowing creatures, known as Eternians, guides lost souls to an ominous central tower where they appear to ascend to a higher plane. They look like angels, but no one really knows who they are, nor where they came from. Can you journey to the tower? Can you solve the mystery behind the Eternians? Can you decode your own past?
Hauntii will release in 2024 on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC (Steam).
Born in the infancy of the universe, weave through an awe-inspiring odyssey of light, color, and sound as a plucky particle named Bombo. Harness Bombo’s power, playing musical notes in wave formations to surpass barriers, awaken allies, and bring harmony to an uncharted world full of wonders. Explore kaleidoscopic surroundings through increasingly difficult levels with distinct characters and aesthetics.
Rouse and recruit musically-gifted companions, known as Ohmies, to make sonorous sound waves and solve rhythm puzzles through timing, focus, and dexterity. Each Ohmie represents the foundational elements of life: construction, destruction, and conservation. Utilize each note and harmony to outsmart obstacles and keep a level head amidst tricky tides. Ambitious explorers can take on challenge modes to further prove their musical mastery.
Classified: France ’44 is inspired by the untold story of the Jedburghs – a group of heroic Allied special forces dropped behind enemy lines – and disparate brave Resistance groups working across Northern France during the weeks and months ahead of the decisive Normandy landings on D-Day. The game features a series of evolutionary gameplay mechanics for the turn-based tactical genre, including a much greater emphasis on the use of stealth to complete missions, an enhanced overwatch ability that provides further tactical options, and an engaging morale-based combat & suppression system that means every shot matters.
Arming players for victory, the Deluxe and Overlord editions of Classified: France ’44 come fully equipped for war. Available to preorder for $39.99 / £39.99 / €39.99, the Deluxe edition includes the base game and the first DLC, while the Overlord Edition, available to preorder for $49.99 / £49.99 / €49.99, includes the base game and the full season pass1, granting players access to all four upcoming DLC’s. The standard edition is available to preorder for $34.99 / £34.99 / €34.99.
Preorders for all three editions of Classified: France ’44 are now live and will grant players access to the Resistance Pack at launch, with the content varying slightly depending on the platform. Preorders on Steam will be granted access to the “Shadow” and “Ghost” sets, Xbox Series X|S will get the “Green” and “Forest” sets, PlayStation 5 will receive the “Blue” and “Cobalt” sets.
The season pass for Classified: France ’44 can also be purchased separately for $19.99 / £19.99 / €19.99, and the individual DLC packs 1-4 can be purchased for $5.99 / £5.99 / €5.99 each.
Classified: France '44 is available for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC (Steam). The game was released on March 5, 2024.
Dune: Awakening Shows Off Stunning Unreal Engine 5 Gameplay & More Funcom (@Funcom) revealed a stunning new gameplay trailer and featurette for Dune: Awakening, the first episode of the new Dune: Awakening Direct series. Embark on a breathtaking journey across Arraki..
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