Jagex, the UK developer mainly known for the MMO franchise RuneScape, was acquired by The Carlyle Group as announced today in a press release jointly issued by the companies. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
In case you’re not familiar with it, The Carlyle Group is a global investment firm with some $230 billion of assets under its management portfolio. The company will reportedly leverage its considerable resources to support Jagex while it grows the RuneScape franchise further and releases brand new titles.
Phil Mansell, CEO of Jagex, stated:
The Carlyle Group’s Managing Directors added:
The RuneScape developer reportedly had a ‘marquee year’ in 2020, achieving a new all-time high of online subscribers with more than 1.2 million members (in addition to all those who play RuneScape for free). In 2021, Jagex is planning to continue producing RuneScape content, continue building out its game production teams for the development of new online games and deliver the first Jagex Partners title (a sci-fi action RPG in development at Flying Wild Hog).
Michael Wand - RuneScape is one of the most enduring RPG franchises and has a fantastic and committed player base. We look forward to drawing on the full resources of Carlyle to support Phil and his team to continue to grow the existing RuneScape franchise as well as launching new, exciting ones. We believe with further investment and innovation, Jagex can build on its position as one of the most exciting video game developers for both existing and new generations of MMORPG players.
