Focus Entertainment Expands Portfolio with Acquisition of BlackMill Games

Focus Entertainment has expanded its network of studios through the acquisition of BlackMill Games, the developer behind the popular WW1 Game Series of first-person shooter games. Previously, the Netherlands-based studio had sold a majority stake to M2H Games, but this stake has now been acquired by Focus Entertainment, making BlackMill Games the sixth studio to join the Focus Entertainment group since June 2020. As part of the acquisition, Focus Entertainment has also acquired the company WW1 Game Series B.V., which is named after BlackMill Games' flagship series. Jos Hoebe, the founder and creative director of the studio, will continue to lead the team and retain 33.33% ownership of the business. Going forward, the 15-member team will operate under the name BlackMill Games. The WW1 Game Series, which was launched in 2015 with the game Verdun, has seen significant success, with over one million copies sold across its titles, including Tannenberg, released in 2017, and the latest installment, Isonzo, which is now available on console and PC. Over the past two years, Focus Entertainment has also acquired several other studios, including Deck 13, the developer of Lords of the Fallen, Streum On Studio, the developer of the Warhammer shooter series, Dotemu, a retro game publisher and developer, Douze Dixièmes, the creator of Shady Part of Me, and Leiker Studio, the developer of Metal Slug Tactics. In an interview earlier this year, Focus Entertainment discussed its merger and acquisition strategy, stating that it aims to build a 'Federation of Studios'.