Asmodee, one of the largest board game publishers in the world, seems to be back on the market. According to recent reports, it could be worth $2 billion.
Asmodee, publishers of, or owners of the publishers of that board game you like is up for sale once more. This would be the third time the board gaming giant is offered up for sale in as many years.
Asmodee is an interesting case in the board games industry. A few years back, their business plan involved absorbing smaller games companies, Katamari style, structuring them into smaller semi-independent companies, while housing prestigious games under Asmodee’s profile. Games like CATAN, Ticket to Ride, X-Wing Miniatures Game, Marvel: Crisis Protocol, Marvel Champions: The Card Game, Arkham Horror, and Pandemic all fall under Asmodee’s portfolio, making it the second largest board game publisher, behind only Hasbro.
Then, at the height of that process, Asmodee, which had been snapped up by Eurazeo, a private equity firm known for buying up properties then making them look as profitable as possible before taking them public with a successful IPO, was sold. But not on the public market, rather, PAI Partners, another private equity firm. Now after PAI Partners have had their turn with Asmodee, making various investments and restructurings that have had broad reaching impacts across the industry (including the closing of Fantasy Flight Games’ RPG studio) PAI is reportedly seeking an estimated $2 billion for the board game giant. The news comes from “tabletop legend” Steve Buonocore, as reported by techraptor:
Buonocore is a trusted name in the tabletop world; until his retirement in 2020, he was president of Terraforming Mars and Core Worlds studio Stronghold Games.
BREAKING NEWS;
Asmodee being sold by PAI Partners (the current VC Fund that owns them) for a reported 2 BILLION EURO.
Goldman Sachs (largest Investment bank on the planet) has been engaged to make this sale.
WOW!
— Stephen M. Buonocore (@PodfatherGaming) September 23, 2021
All of this could shake up the tabletop industry, but the question remains, who could make such a purchase? Another equity firm, for sure, but to what end? Hasbro certainly could absorb the “smaller” company but is that in their best interests? We’ll just have to wait and see.
Source: Bell of Lost Souls
