Gaming VC exercise stays subdued in Q2 2023 | PitchBook

Enterprise capital funding for video games continued to stagnate in Q2 2023 in response to PitchBook’s latest market report. Whereas the overall worth of offers was up 12% from the primary quarter (totaling $1.1 billion), the variety of closed offers declined 29% to 110.

Each figures fell dramatically in comparison with 2022, with deal worth down 80% and the variety of offers falling 57.5% year-on-year. Notably, VC deal values in gaming peaked in Q2 2022 which partially explains the steep drop-off.

PitchBook famous that deal worth was concentrated in additional late-stage firms than in previous quarters. These extra mature firms introduced in $611 million or 55.5% the quarter’s funding complete. Nevertheless, early-stage and angel and seed offers accounted for 71.8% of VC video games funding in Q2 2023. Whereas undisclosed deal totals are impacting this hole, the info means that VC funds are being extra selective with their sources amid financial uncertainty.

Furthermore, PitchBook notes that VC exits have been few and much between in 2023. Within the first half of the yr, 19 exits closed for a complete deal worth of $200 million. Whereas Atari’s $776.2 million acquisition of Offended Birds developer Rovio will increase the annual complete, 2023 is on tempo to be the slowest yr for exits since 2012’s $1.5 billion. Macroeconomic headwinds are seemingly miserable the marketplace for potential exits.

VC funding traits in gaming

Over the past yr, gaming content material and growth startups have attracted probably the most enterprise capital funding. Improvement firms embrace recreation engines, developer instruments and know-how providers. Content material covers recreation publishers, studios, builders and platforms in addition to playing suppliers.

In accordance with PitchBook’s knowledge, 328 gaming content material firms raised $2.89 billion in funding from Q3 2022 to Q2 2023. In the meantime, growth startups introduced in $1.7 billion throughout 108 offers. Whereas extra capital has flowed to content material firms, the common deal measurement for growth firms ($15.8 million) was 1.8-times bigger than the common deal closed by content material firms ($8.8 million).

PitchBook notes that growth startups benefitted from from tailwinds in generative AI and consumer generated content material. Monetization & financing startups are additionally gaining extra traction, largely within the type of ad tech platforms. In the meantime, esports know-how, teaching and coaching startups all struggled.

Geographically, North America continues to command the vast majority of VC funding. Within the first half of 2023, North American gaming firms introduced in $1.3 billion in funding, outpacing counterparts in each Asia ($400 million) and Europe ($300 million).

Whereas macroeconomic traits proceed to dampen VC funding for gaming startups, PitchBook highlights each UGC and Cloud gaming as vital rising alternatives.