Sega is acquiring ‘Angry Birds’ developer Rovio

Sega has announced plans to acquire Angry Birds developer Rovio for just under £625million.

In a press release issued today (April 17), parent organisation Sega Sammy confirmed that it would be purchasing Rovio through Sega’s European branch.

The acquisition will see Sega purchase “the entirety of Rovio’s outstanding shares and options” at a total of £624,937million (€705million).

Rovio’s shareholders have “irrevocably” agreed to accept the offer, and the deal is expected to go through in a matter of months.

Explaining the business move, Sega said that it is “imperative” for the company to invest in mobile gaming, which is a fast-growing market.

It’s an area that Rovio has found success in — Angry Birds 2 and Angry Birds Dream Blast are ranked as some of the top-grossing apps on the Google Play store. Outside of the Angry Birds franchise, Rovio has also created Darkfire Heroes, Small Town Murders and Sugar Blast.

Sega has explained that when it acquires Rovio, it will be used to help bring more of Sega’s existing games and franchises to mobile platforms.

While Sega is best known for creating Sonic The Hedgehog, a number of acquisitions means the likes of Persona, Total War, Football Manager and Company Of Heroes all fall under the company’s umbrella.

“We are thrilled at the idea of using our expertise and tools to bring even more joy to our players, enhancing and expanding Rovio’s and Sega’s vibrant IPs,” shared Rovio CEO Alexandre Pelletier-Normand.

Likewise, Sega Sammy Holdings CEO Haruki Satomi shared that it has been “Sega’s long-term goal to accelerate its expansion” in mobile gaming, and said there would be “significant synergies” between both companies’ characters and brands going forward.

The acquisition comes two months after Rovio shared it was delisting the original Angry Birds game, as the studio claimed it was suffering from its own popularity.