On Apr. 16, 2020, Riot Games, the game developer and publisher best known for League of Legends, announced the completion of its acquisition of Hypixel Studios. The acquisition follows a monumental launch for Hypixel Studios that began with the announcement of its debut title, Hytale, which has amassed over 2.5 million sign-ups for its beta and millions of views on YouTube for its trailer. In November, Hypixel Studios announced that it is planning for Hytale to be playable by everyone in 2021.
This acquisition represents the expansion of a long-standing relationship with Hypixel Studios gaining access to Riot Games’ experience in developing and publishing acclaimed, player-focused games.
Riot Games was founded in 2006 to develop, publish and support the most player-focused games in the world. Its debut title, League of Legends, has gone on to be the most-played PC game in the world and a key driver of the explosive growth of esports.
Hypixel Studios is a team of more than 40 developers. Hytale is the studio's first project. The company’s goal is to apply years of collective experience in the modding and minigame server scenes to independent game development, providing community-oriented games that meet the needs of players and content creators alike.
Torys LLP represented Riot Games in Canada with a team led by
John Emanoilidis,
and which included
Matthew Atkey (corporate/M&A),
Edward Fan (IP),
Tom Stevenson (employment),
Craig Maurice (tax),
and Omar Wakil (regulatory).
Latham and Watkins, LLP represented Riot Games.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP represented Hypixel Studios and its founders in Canada with a team led by
Michel Gélinas,
and which included
Nicolas Morin,
Zain Rizvi,
Antoine Le Bihan,
Pascale Nguyen (corporate/M&A),
Marie-Emmanuelle Vaillancourt,
Olivia Khazam (tax),
Elliot Greenstone (technology/intellectual property),
and Anita Banicevic (regulatory).
O’Melveny & Myers LLP represented Hypixel Studios and its founders in the U.S.