EG7 Acquires Daybreak Game Company

Daybreak Game Company (formerly Sony Online Entertainment), the publisher of many an online title, including both EverQuests, Dungeons & Dragons Online and The Lord of the Rings Online, seems to have been acquired by Enad Global 7, a Swedish conglomerate that develops, markets, publishes and distributes video games.

From what I can tell, this move will allow EG7 to diversify their IP portfolio, expand their teams, and introduce some fresh free to play cash flows. And in the long term, they’ll be looking to grow these IPs of theirs with a focus on free to play titles.

You can find some additional information in this GamesIndustry.biz article and this official investor presentation. You can also check out this press release for a quick summary:

Enad Global 7 AB (publ) (EG7) acquired US-based developer Daybreak Game Company for a consideration of USD 300 million in cash and newly issued shares in EG7.

The deal is for 100 percent of Daybreak, which is a leading game development company located in San Diego, CA, with additional offices in Austin, TX and Needham, MA. With the acquisition EG7’s proforma financials for the period Jan-Sep 2020, including the recent acquisitions of Big Blue Bubble and Piranha Games, will amount to SEK 1,322 million revenue and SEK 411 million EBITDA.

Daybreak’s main owner Jason Epstein will hold approximately 10 percent and the additional current shareholders of Daybreak will together hold approximately 3 percent of the total number of outstanding shares and votes in EG7.

EG7’s Board of Directors also intends to carry out a share issue of up to SEK 1,600 million directed to Swedish and international institutional investors through an accelerated bookbuilding procedure conducted by Carnegie and Swedbank.

The Consideration for 100 percent of the shares in Daybreak amounts to USD 300 million:

• USD 260 million is paid at closing of the Transaction (the “Upfront Consideration”), and
• USD 40 million is paid following finalization of Daybreak’s FY 2020 financial statements