Asmodee Acquires Board Game Arena
Some of the biggest tabletop franchises are under Asmodee's umbrella, and with its latest move, [...]
Some of the biggest tabletop franchises are under Asmodee's umbrella, and with its latest move, even more people around the world will be able to play them through the power of online multiplayer. Asmodee has announced it has acquired global digital gaming platform Board Game Arena, and because of that platform titles like Ticket to Ride, Pandemic, and more will be accessible to players online, and future titles available on Board Game Arena will include Skull and Splendor. While BGA will be a part of the Asmodee family, it will still operate independently, and thus management will stay in place.
BGA's pricing policies will also remain unchanged, and the company is still free to create online versions of games from other publishers, though the acquisition will mean more Asmodee titles should be available soon.
BGA was founded in 2010 by Grégory Isabelli and Emmanuel Colin, and it has quickly made an impact in the market. More than 250 games are available on the service to more than 5 million members around the world. There are already games from Asmodee available, including Carcassonne, Jaipur, and 7 Wonders, which have amassed more than 4 million online games since being added in 2018.
BGA has experienced an immense 600% growth in 2020, and the call for online options for board games is only growing. To support its growth and development, BGA chose to join with Asmodee, a company they already knew quite well. It will also mean quicker turnaround time for Asmodee titles on the platform.
Grégory Isabelli and Emmanuel Colin said: "Working with Asmodee allows us to continue our massive growth, with a partner that shares our love and passion for board gaming. Asmodee fulfills a sine qua non criteria for us: that BGA is always run by absolute board game fans whose core business is board game."
"Our growth is based on one crucial commitment: offer the best gaming experience to consumers and bring our brands to the widest audience", said Thomas Koegler, Head of Strategy at Asmodee. "Having a platform that allows players from all over the world to meet, play their favorite games together or discover new games is a natural fit alongside our amazing catalogue of board games. Skull and Splendor will be in the coming weeks the first of a long list of Asmodee releases on the platform: we hope that players will enjoy them!"
What do you think of the move? Let us know in the comments or as always you can talk all things tabletop with me on Twitter @MattAguilarCB!