Embracer's DECA Group Buys Island Hoppers for up to $5 Million
Embracer Group said on November 6, 2026 that it acquired all assets and rights to the free-to-play mobile game Island Hoppers from Nexters Global, a GDEV subsidiary.
1 source 1h ago
Reporting from 1 source: GameBusiness.jp.
Why it matters
Embracer is paying cash for an already-running mobile game with a stated 2.5 to 3.5 year payback window, which puts DECA's side of the business on a yield calculation rather than a release schedule.
Key Facts
- Embracer Group announced on November 6, 2026 that it acquired Island Hoppers through A Thinking Ape Entertainment, a DECA Group subsidiary.
- The seller is Nexters Global, a subsidiary of GDEV.
- The price totals up to $5 million, about $4.5 million up front plus up to $500,000 in performance-linked payments, all in cash.
- Island Hoppers is a free-to-play farming and adventure game released in October 2023, available on iOS, Android and browsers.
- A Thinking Ape Entertainment, based in Vancouver, will lead development and publishing of the title.
The buyer is A Thinking Ape Entertainment, a Vancouver studio inside Embracer's DECA Group. The price totals up to $5 million: about $4.5 million up front plus up to $500,000 tied to performance, paid in cash. The deal closed in August 2026.
A Thinking Ape Entertainment will lead development and publishing of Island Hoppers from Vancouver, with continued spending planned on user acquisition, live operations and new content. The studio's model is long-running titles: it has operated Party in My Dorm, released in 2010, for over 15 years. Island Hoppers itself arrived in October 2023 as a free-to-play farming and adventure game mixing island exploration, story quests, puzzles and mansion restoration, and it stays live on iOS, Android and browsers. Embracer expects to earn the purchase price back in roughly 2.5 to 3.5 years from the asset's cash flow. DECA Group CEO Ken Go said great games can have a lifespan far longer than the market often expects.
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