Nazara invests $100 million in Bluetile, BestPlay for AI gaming boost
Nazara Technologies is making big moves: they have picked up half of Bluetile Games and BestPlay Systems for about ₹918 crore ($100.3 million).
The board granted in-principle approval in mid-March 2026, and Nazara's shares rose about 6-7% around that time.
This is all part of their plan to bring more AI-powered features and reward-based engagement to their gaming platform.
Deal details: Upfront payments, call/put options, and earn-outs
Nazara will pay $59.7 million upfront, with another $40.6 million coming in 6 months. Up to a quarter of the payment can be in shares instead of cash.
Nazara holds a call option (and the sellers a put) to acquire the remaining ~50% by 2028 at a valuation of 6.6x trailing calendar-year EBITDA.
Separately, the deal includes performance-linked earn-outs of up to $98.2 million tied to revenue and EBITDA targets for calendar years 2027-2029, payable between 2028 and 2030.
Financials of the acquired companies and Nazara's growth trajectory
Bluetile's casual games (like Yatzy and Domino Legends) have racked up 375 million downloads and see 22 million active players each month. BestPlay contributes an additional 2.2 million monthly active users.
Together, they reported $153.6 million. For Nazara, whose own revenue is already up nearly 30% this year, this could mean even bigger growth ahead.
If you are into gaming or just curious about how tech companies are leveling up with AI, this is one worth watching!