The owner of a Derby mobile games developer has announced it has sold the business to a multi-national rival.
Outplay Entertainment, based in Dundee, has sold Eight Pixels Square to Miniclip for an undisclosed sum.
Founded by Hugh Binns and Tim Rogers in 2012, Eight Pixels Square, employs around 50 people at its offices in Mackworth. It was acquired by Outplay towards the end of 2016.
Eight Pixels Square is best known for its mobile shooter games. Its 2017 Sniper Strike: Special Ops game still enjoys nearly 35 million global downloads.
It has also worked across a broad range of genres with titles such as Retro Soccer, Raid HQ, and Cartel Kings.
Hugh Binns, studio director at Eight Pixels Square, said: “Our work with Outplay has given Eight Pixels Square a fantastic platform for future growth.
“To now join the Miniclip family is a thrilling step forward for the evolution of Eight Pixels Studio and allows us to tap in to untold resources and opportunities under Miniclip’s guidance.”
Doug Hare, chief executive and founder of Outplay Entertainment, said: “We’ve had a very successful and enjoyable relationship with Hugh and Tim and the rest of the Eight Pixels Square team over the last three years but are delighted for them becoming part of the Miniclip family, as we focus on growing our casual audience with the launch of three new games in 2020.”
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Jurgen Post, chief executive of Miniclip, said: “Eight Pixels Square is a hugely experienced development team, with over 30 years of development experience, and it is this depth of knowledge that will complement the Miniclip family so well.
“With Eight Pixels Square as part of Miniclip, we now have an incredibly experienced resource base that can expand our offering into the mobile shooter genre and we’re thrilled to see what the team delivers next.”