Everplay Group Upgrades Full-Year Forecast and Acquires Hammerwatch IP

Well now, this is a rather tasty bit of news for Everplay Group shareholders and followers of the UK gaming sector. Hot off the presses today, Everplay isn’t just nudging expectations – it’s actively upgrading its full-year forecast while simultaneously snapping up some intriguing gaming assets. Let’s crack open this RNS and see what’s really cooking.

H1 2025: Smashing It Out of the Park

Forget sluggish starts; Everplay’s first half of 2025 has been strong. The headline act? Date Everything!, a recent launch, isn’t just performing well – it’s apparently pulling off the trifecta: excellent sales, healthy concurrent users, *and* glowing reviews. Not to be outdone, fellow newcomers Sworn and Nice Day for Fishing have also made “encouraging starts.”

Combine this new release vigour with the “continued robust performance” of their back catalogue, and you’ve got a recipe for an upgrade. The Board is now confident enough to state that full-year results will be “slightly ahead of current market expectations.” As seasoned Everplay watchers know, their earnings (Adjusted EBITDA) tend to be weighted towards the second half – that’s just the rhythm of their game release schedule. Mark your diaries for those interim results landing early September.

Strategic Strikes: Acquiring Hammerwatch & Publishing Rights

But Everplay isn’t resting on its laurels. Today’s announcement also reveals two significant, and strategically distinct, acquisitions:

1. Bagging the Hammerwatch IP (Lock, Stock, and Barrel)

This is the big one. Everplay has acquired *all* rights and assets to the Hammerwatch franchise – a well-regarded action-adventure series comprising four titles from Swedish studio Crackshell. This isn’t just adding another game; it’s about owning the crown jewels.

• Why it matters: It directly feeds Everplay’s strategy to build a stronger portfolio of owned, first-party IP (“evergreen franchises”). Owning the IP means full control and all the long-term revenue upside.
• The Plan: Hammerwatch will slot into the Team17 division. The focus? “Optimise lifecycle management” (think: keeping sales ticking over nicely for years) while actively “exploring commercial opportunities and sequels.” Translation: squeeze more juice from the existing titles and very likely build new ones.
• The Talent: Crucially, Niklas Myrberg, co-founder of Crackshell, is joining Everplay to personally oversee the Hammerwatch franchise within Team17’s creative team. Keeping that creator connection is smart.

2. Exclusive Publishing Rights: Building the Back Catalogue Smarter

Alongside the headline IP grab, Everplay is activating another part of its strategy: acquiring exclusive publishing rights for established third-party games. Think of it as giving proven hits a second wind under Everplay’s expert marketing and distribution umbrella.