TripleDot buys Israeli game publisher Supersonic

TripleDot Studios, founded by Israeli entrepreneurs Lior Shiff and Eyal Chameides, has acquired Israeli game publisher Supersonic from Unity. The deal is estimated at several tens of millions of dollars. Supersonic, which employs 125 people, will see about 40 employees laid off as TripleDot aims to make it profitable. Supersonic's quarterly revenue is estimated at $50 million.

Israeli game publisher Supersonic has been acquired by TripleDot Studios, a mobile games developer founded by Israeli entrepreneurs Lior Shiff and Eyal Chameides. The deal, whose financial details were not disclosed, is estimated at several tens of millions of dollars, including the purchase of staff, the games portfolio, and intellectual property. Supersonic is what remained after Unity decided in March to close ironSource's office in the Sarona Tower in Tel Aviv, leaving Supersonic with 125 employees, 95 of them in Israel. TripleDot intends to turn Supersonic into a profitable unit and will reduce the workforce by about a third, letting go of about 40 employees in Israel and other centers such as Vietnam and Turkey. Supersonic is behind about 100 casual games, including Going Balls, Bridge Race, and Hole It. Unity revealed Supersonic's revenue for the first time, estimated at $50 million per quarter. After the deal, Tripledot's revenues are expected to reach $2 billion per year. Supersonic was founded by Gil Shoham and Arik Cherniak and acquired by ironSource 11 years ago for $150 million. The company develops hybrid casual games with revenue from in-game purchases and advertising. Despite the crisis in the mobile gaming industry due to users shifting to short-form videos, games with dual revenue channels are seen as growth drivers.