Bigben acquires Kylotonn for undisclosed cash sum

Hot on the heels of its last acquisition, French publisher Bigben Interactive has announced its purchase of Kylotonn, the racing games specialist it has worked with previously.

The Parisian dev studio was already in Bigben’s portfolio with a smaller stake, but the publisher is now sole owner of the team behind the likes of the WRC series and V-Rally 4. The 55 per cent controlling share held by founder Roman Vincent was purchased in cash for an undisclosed sum. Vincent remains in charge of the studio following the acquisition.

Alain Falc, president and CEO of Bigben, said: “By increasing our shareholding in Kylotonn (KT Racing), we validate the merits of this strategic acquisition initiated in 2017 and warmly welcome the talents of experienced developers which we have already fully appreciated over many past projects. The rise of Bigben in the segment of racing games remains a major strategic axis for our future growth.”

Vincent added: “We are proud to become fully part of the Bigben group for which we have developed games for more than 10 years. The longstanding cooperation with Bigben, a token for stable and smooth relations between the teams, our specialization on 2 wheel and 4 wheel off-road racing games as well as the use of prestigious brands (WRC, Isle of Man TT, V-Rally, Test Drive Unlimited) represent competitive advantages for the Group that our integration will strengthen.”

This is the latest in a line of acquisitions for Bigben this year, with Eko Software and Cyanide bolstering the publisher’s in-house development ranks.

Following the Kylotonn purchase, Bigben now has a staff of 250 developers working across six teams – five in France, one in Canada.