Balatro publisher, Playstack, set for acquisition by GameSpot parent company in £125m deal

Playstack, the publisher behind hit titles including Balatro and Abiotic Factor, is set to enter new ownership following a proposed acquisition by Integrated Media Company (IMC), the investment group behind brands such as Fandom, GameSpot, Screen Junkies and Fanatical.

The deal was announced after Playstack owner TruFin agreed to sell its 84.5% stake in the UK-based publisher to VantageCo, an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of IMC.

The proposed transaction is valued at approximately £112.4 million, equivalent to around $151 million.

Based on the terms of the agreement, Playstack has been valued at roughly £125 million, or $169 million. The acquisition remains subject to shareholder approval, with TruFin's board recommending that investors vote in favour of the sale.

TruFin chief executive James van den Bergh described the transaction as an important step for the company.

“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,” he said.

Van den Bergh also praised Playstack’s team and said IMC would provide a strong platform for the publisher’s future growth.

The proposed sale follows a period of strong performance for Playstack. Earlier in 2026, the publisher revealed it had achieved a hit ratio of more than 85%, meaning most of its released games generated a positive return on development costs.

According to company figures, Playstack’s catalogue generated more than $100 million in gross revenue on Steam and recorded over 20 million downloads during the last financial year.

Playstack founder and chief executive Harvey Elliott sought to reassure partners and players that the acquisition would not alter the company’s direction.

“I’m excited to share that Playstack is entering its next chapter with a new investment partner,” Elliott said.

He added that the transaction represents a change in ownership rather than a change in strategy, stating that Playstack’s team and commitment to publishing premium independent games would remain unchanged.