Scopely Acquires Majority Stake in Loom, Valuing Studio Over $1 Billion

Mohammed Fathy

Last updated 20-02-2026

4 min

Scopely will acquire a majority stake in Istanbul studio Loom, valuing it above $1 billion.

Loom’s Pixel Flow! drew 10 million players and hit US top‑grossing charts.

The deal includes a multi‑year, performance‑based structure, though terms remain undisclosed.

Loom keeps creative control, gaining Scopely’s “global publishing muscle” and scale.

The takeover boosts Turkey’s gaming rise and signals fierce demand for standout content.

Scopely, the mobile gaming heavyweight owned by Savvy Games Group, itself a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund since 2023, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Istanbul-based studio Loom. The deal reportedly values the young company at more than $1 billion, catapulting it into unicorn territory only months after launch. In the fast-moving world of mobile games, that kind of ascent is almost unheard of.

Financial details have not been formally disclosed, though people familiar with the matter say the agreement includes a multi-year, performance-based structure. What is clear is the headline number: a billion-dollar-plus valuation for a studio founded in 2025. That alone says plenty about where investor appetite is right now.

Loom was set up by CEO Kübra Gündoğan and CTO Emre Çelik, and its breakout title, Pixel Flow!, has been the engine behind its meteoric rise. The hybrid-casual puzzle game has already attracted more than 10 million players globally. And believe it or not, it became the only casual game launched in the past year to break into the top 20 grossing mobile games in the United States – one of the toughest markets to crack.

Tim O’Brien, Chief Revenue Officer and board member at Scopely, described the studio’s early achievements as exceptional. Pixel Flow!, he noted, has reached millions and climbed top-grossing charts at remarkable speed, calling the mix of creativity and rapid iteration “extremely rare”. It’s not every day you hear that kind of praise in such a crowded segment.

For Loom, the partnership means access to Scopely’s global publishing muscle, operational infrastructure and scaling expertise, while retaining creative control. Gündoğan said the studio’s focus has always been on building distinctive experiences, and that Scopely brings deep know-how in scaling products without stripping away autonomy. That balance – independence with backing – has become a defining feature of Scopely’s acquisition playbook.

Turkey’s gaming ecosystem is, frankly, on a roll. Over the past decade, the country has quietly built a reputation as a serious hub for mobile and casual game development, drawing global capital thanks to strong technical talent and competitive costs. I remember a founder telling me at a regional event that Istanbul was no longer “up and coming” but already in the big leagues. At the time, it sounded a touch ambitious. Now? It feels spot on.

The acquisition also delivers an eye-catching return for early investors such as Arcadia Gaming Partners, which joined Loom’s seed round just months ago. Arcadia’s Managing Director Akin Babayigit called the exit at a billion-dollar-plus valuation “phenomenal”, saying it creates a strong platform for the team to continue building global franchises. That’s the kind of outcome most VCs would be chuffed to bits about.

On the flip side, deals like this raise the bar for everyone else. The mobile gaming space moves at breakneck speed, and breakout hits can be a flash in the pan. I reckon sustaining momentum beyond a first smash success is the real test. Still, Scopely appears confident that Loom’s development culture and IP can feed into a broader, long-term portfolio strategy.

Scopely has been expanding aggressively through acquisitions and partnerships, stitching together a network of studios and franchises designed to compete globally. Bringing Loom into the fold strengthens its footprint in Turkey and reinforces its pipeline in high-growth categories such as hybrid-casual and puzzle gaming.

As smartphone penetration deepens and monetisation models evolve – with AI increasingly woven into game development – the race for standout content is only intensifying. In that context, snapping up a studio that turned a fresh title into a US top-grossing contender in mere months looks like a calculated bet rather than a gamble.

For Turkey’s entrepreneurs, and for founders watching from across MENA on platforms like Arageek, this is more than just a big-ticket exit. It’s a reminder that global-scale ambition is definately within reach – even in industries where competition is fierce and attention spans are short. And in gaming, as in startups, timing can be everything.

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