Mobile gaming technology company AppLovin have made an offer to buy Unity Software in a $17.54 billion all-stock deal. As reported by Reuters, Unity’s board said it would consider the offer. The proposal comes a few weeks after Unity announced plans to purchase AppLovin competitor ironSource.
That timing isn’t coincidental, with the Reuters report saying that AppLovin hired advisors to work out an offer after news of the ironSource deal became public. Unity intends to buy ironSource for $4.4 billion in an all-stock deal, although that deal would need to be canceled if they want to instead merge with AppLovin.
The proposed ironSource deal did not go over well with many game developers who use Unity. That’s in part because ironSource are best known for developing a malware installer in 2015. It’s also partly because Unity CEO John Riccitiello did an interview where he said that if developers don’t consider monetization during their creative process, they’re a “fucking idiot .”
In the proposed deal, John Riccitiello would remain CEO of the combined business, while AppLovin CEO Adam Foroughi would become chief operating officer.
Unity is best known on this website for powerful indie hits including Hollow Knight, Cuphead, Untitled Goose Game and, honestly, almost every other indie hit. It’s better known elsewhere for also being used by major publishers like EA and Activision and for powering mobile hits such as Pokémon Go.