#GamingBusiness

50 Layoffs precisely. Berlin-based Wooga has quietly cancelled its upcoming title Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire, leading to a wave of layoffs across the Playtika-owned studio. Claire’s Chronicles: Solitaire had been in soft launch since October 2024. 50 departures on spanning roles in art, design, economy, production, and data. The cancellation marks another shift in direction for the June’s Journey and Pearl’s Peril maker, which saw a leadership transition earlier this year. Former Youda Games GM Dennis Korf stepped in as Managing Director, following a handover from longtime MD Nai Chang. This isn’t the first time Wooga has shelved a major game. Late last year, Chang shared about lessons learned from the studio’s earlier misfire, Switchcraft, and the challenges of innovating under Playtika’s umbrella. Meanwhile, parent company Playtika just reported record Q1 revenue of $706M—buoyed in part by its SuperPlay acquisition—but saw […]

Super Banana secured funding from Griffin Gaming Partners. Source: PocketGamer While the investment amount remains under wraps, what’s clear is the ambition: reinvent the puzzle genre with depth, speed, and style. Founded by Danil Moskovoy and Nikolay Ternovoy, two industry veterans with roots in Zeptolab, Voodoo, Tripledot, Popcore, and Playrix, Super Banana is built on a sharp thesis: build fast, build smart, build with purpose. Currently based in the UK and hiring remotely across Europe, the studio is already prototyping its first wave of titles, zeroing in on sorting mechanics, hybrid monetization (IAP/IAA), and untapped design spaces in casual games. “Casual puzzle games are full of white space if you know where to look,” said CEO Danil Moskovoy. “We’ve seen what works—and more importantly, what doesn’t. Now’s our chance to go deeper and build games that stick.” With tight feedback […]

Mobile game developer Studio 42 has raised $3.6 million in seed funding to support the development of its first title and grow its team. The round was led by Play Ventures, with backing from GEM Capital and Arcadia Gaming Partners. The studio’s 14-person team is spread across four countries and includes talent with experience from Belka Games, Snap Inc., Playrix, and Game Insight. CEO Alexander Bogdanov shared that the studio is focused on delivering simple but deeply engaging gameplay, with a design philosophy rooted in clarity and creativity. “We believe genius lies in simplicity,” he said, as the team sets out to bring a new wave of puzzle games to life. Studio 42’s debut project is built around familiar puzzle mechanics with a modern hybrid-casual approach. The team plans to operate with a fast iteration cycle powered by AI, aiming […]

Cyprus-based mobile games startup Studio 42 has raised $3.6 million in Seed funding to accelerate the launch of its first title and explore new puzzle game IP. The funding round was led by Play Ventures, with participation from GEM Capital and Arcadia Gaming Partners. Founded with a mission to reinvent the puzzle genre, Studio 42 is developing hybrid-casual experiences that blend classic puzzle gameplay with engaging metagame elements. The studio is taking a speed-focused and data-driven approach — embracing rapid iteration, live testing, and AI-powered hypothesis validation. “We believe genius lies in simplicity,” said Aleksandr Bogdanov, CEO of Studio 42. “This funding allows us to focus on crafting deeply engaging puzzle experiences that feel familiar, yet fresh. With the backing of some of the top investors in gaming, we’re excited to push the genre forward.” Studio 42’s first prototype moved […]

Source: VentureBeat TaleMonster Games, an Istanbul studio founded by Peak Games veterans on a mission to bring depth and creativity back to casual puzzle games, has raised $7 million in funding. TaleMonster just scored big. With fresh funding led by General Catalyst — joined by A16z Speedrun, Arcadia, and Ludus Ventures — the studio is set to fast-track development on its debut lineup, including the upcoming match-3 title Match Valley. But this isn’t just about one game. CEO Irem Sumer told GamesBeat that TaleMonster was built on a clear mission: today’s players are more sophisticated than ever — and their games should rise to meet them. This investment fuels that vision, backing the studio’s creative and technical push to redefine what casual puzzle gaming can be. Match Valley is a popular new game from TaleMonster Games. “We have been working together for […]

Source: VentureBeat Layer, the AI application gateway built specifically for game developers, has raised $6.5 million in seed funding to make next-generation production tools. Layer acts as the glue for game studios to deploy AI quickly and efficiently, with a professional suite of tools to build, manage and refine 2D, 3D and video assets while significantly reducing production time. Layer helps scale content across production pipelines, making it easier to develop and maintain games of all types. It’s got a lot of mobile game customers, which is why it has raised a new round of funding and is figuring out how to go after the PC and console game studio business. “We’re the leading AI-powered tool for content creation, and we’re here for game studios,” said Volkan Gurel, CEO of Layer, in an interview with GamesBeat. “We started off with a […]

Written by our partner, InvestGame. In the current investment landscape, a few themes dominate headlines as strongly as Artificial Intelligence. According to CB Insights, global AI funding exceeded $100B in 2024, with companies like Databricks ($10B – Series J), OpenAI ($6.6B), and xAI ($6B – Series B & $6B – Series C) raising the largest rounds. While the potential of AI in gaming is broadly recognized, dedicated AI-first gaming startups still lag in capital and visibility compared to enterprise- or productivity-focused peers. This raises crucial questions: Why is AI still underpenetrated in gaming startups? Is there genuine whitespace for gaming-specific AI solutions? How do investors perceive this burgeoning segment? To explore these points, we’ve closely tracked AI usage in gaming over the past five years from 2020–2024. Our findings indicate a substantial, though still emerging, market: over 178 AI startups secured around $1.8B across 264 […]