Playstack, the publisher behind games including Balatro, Abiotic Factor, and The Rise of the Golden Idol, is set to be purchased by Integrated Media Company (IMC), the owner of Fandom and Gamespot, among numerous other brands. The news was initially reported by Game Developer.
Playstack’s current owner, TruFin, has conditionally agreed to sell its 84.5% stake to IMC. The sale is subject to a shareholder vote, and TruFin has recommended that shareholders vote in favour.
The deal will result in approximately £112.4 million in net cash proceeds for TruFin.
Harvey Elliott, founder and CEO of Playstack, responded to the proposal in a post on Playstack’s website on May 22.
“I’m excited to share that Playstack is entering its next chapter with a new investment partner. In practical terms, this is a change in ownership rather than a change in who we are. Our team, our strategy, and our commitment to publishing premium indie games remain exactly the same.
“For now, it’s business as usual. I sincerely thank TruFin for being an invaluable partner over the past seven years, helping us reach this exciting next step. I’m looking forward to sharing more about the future with you all soon.”
In a statement dated May 21, TruFin CEO James van den Bergh said:
“We believe the disposal of Playstack represents a milestone for TruFin and a clear demonstration of our disciplined approach to capital allocation and value creation. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the Playstack team over the last few years and look forward to them achieving future success.
“IMC is a superb platform for the next stage in Playstack’s journey and we wish the team at IMC well for the future.”
Earlier this year, TruFin pointed to Playstack’s impressive hit rate, noting that 85% of the publisher’s games provide a positive return. Playstack made £55.3 million in gross revenue during 2025, an increase of 24% year-on-year, and representing 83.9% of TruFin’s total revenue.
IMC is a vehicle for the assets and private equity firm TPG. According to its website, IMC “seeks to acquire fundamentally attractive companies and partner with existing management teams to drive sustainable value creation.”
IMC also owns games media brand Gamespot alongside wiki platform Fandom, game distribution platform Fandom and YouTube brand Screen Junkies alongside other entertainment, football and ecommerce brands.
Playstack head Harvey Elliott discussed the success of Balatro in an interview with GamesIndustry.biz last year. “What has changed for us is that it’s given us a bit of confidence,” he said.
