One of the first corporate acquisition news of the fourth quarter came from the gaming industry. Game District, one of the largest game studios in Southeast Asia, has purchased the majority shares of Gleam Games, one of the fastest growing domestic players in the mobile gaming industry. Game District, one of the prominent leaders in the mobile gaming industry with over 2 billion downloads, has acquired Gleam Games, the producer of the popular puzzle game EverBlast. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Gleam Games, founded by Eser Yoğurtcu, Berkay Bekil and Furkan Bekil and known as one of the fastest growing startups in the casual gaming industry, completed the investment tour led by IstCapital in April 2023. In the round in which investors such as Fatih İşbecer, Fırat İşbecer, Ludus VC and Tera Portföy also participated, the total investment of the company, which received an investment of US$1 million, reached US$2 million.

“Innovation meets expertise”

Saad Hameed, CEO of Game District, shared his assessments on this topic and said: “This acquisition is a big step we have taken in line with our mission to become a global leader in mobile games. We believe that by joining forces with Gleam Games we will set new standards in the gaming industry and create extraordinary companies. “The partnership between Game District and Gleam Games will open the door to a new era built with creativity and innovation in the gaming world,” he said.

Saad Hameed said that Game District stands out as a fast-growing and innovative mobile game development and publishing company in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region: “Game District has reached 2 billion downloads and 7 million daily downloads. active users.”; It has a different position in the industry with its wide collaboration network and agreements with international brands such as NFL. “We want to take this success even further by combining it with Gleam Games’ puzzle game experience and game development technologies,” he said, adding:

“Gleam Games is not only a studio that develops successful mobile games, but also a company that produces gaming technology by effectively using data, artificial intelligence and new developer tools. This gives Gleam Games an innovation power that allows it to create more immersive and dynamic gaming experiences. “The acquisition of Gleam Games reinforces Game District’s goal to become a global leader in mobile gaming, and the two companies joining forces create a partnership that will set new standards in innovation and expertise in the industry.”

Eser Yoğurtcu will join Game District as CSO

As part of the agreement, Gleam Games co-founder and CEO Eser Yoğurtcu will join Game District as Chief Strategy Officer (CSO). The serial entrepreneur, who also played a major role in Peak Games, which was previously acquired by Zynga for $1.8 billion, shared his assessments of the deal with the following statements:

“I took part in projects that made their mark on the industry at Peak Games and Gleam Games. Now I’m here as CSO at Game District to shape the future of mobile gaming and make a difference in the industry with bold steps. “I believe that with my innovative perspective and entrepreneurial experience, we will strengthen Game District’s position in the industry and build an industry-leading brand.”
Regarding Eser Yoğurtcu’s participation, Game District CEO Saad Hameed said: “Yoğurtcu’s entrepreneurial spirit and successful history in the industry are of great value to Game District. As Game District we want to create new standards in the industry and push the boundaries. “I am confident that by adding Yoğurtcu’s vision to our leadership team, we will accelerate Game District’s growth and increase its impact in the industry,” he said.

Committed to building a dynamic gaming community

Saad Hameed stated that the acquisition of Gleam Games is compatible with the vision of developing the gaming ecosystem in Turkey and positioning Turkey as an innovation center in the gaming industry, concluding his evaluations with the following statements:

“Both companies aim to add dynamism to the gaming ecosystem by encouraging collaboration between the strong player community and game developers in Turkey and Europe. With this acquisition, Gleam Games plans to expand its portfolio of puzzle games, such as EverBlast, which reaches hundreds of thousands, and develop projects in new game genres. “With Game District’s acquisition of the majority shares of Gleam Games, we are also willing to collaborate with other studios in Turkey and Europe.”