Digit Game Studios has been snapped up by LA games company Scopely
The Dublin company has been collaborating with Scopely on online strategy game Star Trek Fleet Command.
DIGIT GAME STUDIOS, the Dublin-based company, has been acquired by Los Angeles-based Scopely.
The two companies recently worked together on Star Trek Fleet Command, a successful multiplayer online strategy game which launched in November 2018.
Founded in 2012 by Richard Barnwell, David McGovern and Fergus Duggan, Digit has been one of the breakout successes of Ireland’s gaming industry and has been partnering with Scopely since 2015.
The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Barnwell, Digit’s chief executive, will continue to run the Dublin-based studio.
“The success we’ve seen with Star Trek Fleet Command has been absolutely amazing and formalising our relationship will allow us to scale the game even more. We can’t wait to see what else we can accomplish together,” Barnwell said in a statement issued this afternoon.
Scopely was already a minority shareholder in Digit, which employs around 70 people. Digit’s other backers including Enterprise Ireland, Delta Partners and ACT Venture.
Maurice Roche, the general partner of Delta Partners, said the deal is a “real vote of confidence not just in Digit but in Ireland” as a base to make world class games.
“Games is a scary place for most investors but Richard built a world class team and gave us great confidence that it could be done at a global level. It has been quite the journey and this exit is great for the team but even better for the industry here to build on,” he said.
Tim O’Brien, the chief revenue officer at Scopely, said the partnership the company has built with Digit has also “laid the foundation for even more opportunities in the strategy space”.
“Game, tech and publishing expertise across both teams resulted in a dynamic experience players are engaging with for hours every day. It’s exciting to see the game garnering awards and popularity, showcasing that our deep collaboration has been a great mix for Fleet Command. We look forward to further scaling the Scopely business with Digit, who will be a fantastic addition to our growing global team,” he added.
