The Carlyle Group Acquires RuneScape's Developer Jagex for $ 530 Million

The Carlyle Group, one of the world's largest global investment companies, acquired the British game studio Jagex, known for RuneScape. Details of the deal have not been disclosed, but it is thought to be worth at least $ 530 million. Investment firm The Carlyle Group bought the UK-based Jagex studio for a jaw-dropping sum, the developer and publisher of the Java-based online game RuneScape with its huge player base. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, The Daily Telegraph reported that the acquisition was worth at least $ 530 million.

The purchase was announced on the 20th anniversary of RuneScape, known as the world's largest free-to-play multiplayer online role-playing game. Home to more than 450 employees, Jagex is now known as one of the most successful British video game studios and develops and publishes games for mobile devices as well as computers.

RuneScape has been played by over 300 million players to date:

First published in June 2001 and played by more than 300 million players to date, RuneScape is considered by Mmogchart.com and Guinness as one of the most popular MMORPG games in the world.

On the other hand, The Carlyle Group, which made the acquisition, is described as one of the largest global investment companies in the world with $ 230 billion in assets it manages. Jagex was previously sold to a Chinese mining company for $ 300 million in 2016 and was once again acquired by the US holding company Macarthur Fortune Holding LLC in May 2020.