Notes

The Carlyle Group Acquires Jagex, Leading Online Video Game Company and Creator Of RuneScape

Cambridge, UK, - Global investment firm The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ: CG) today announced it has acquired Jagex which is a major creator and publisher of video games. The terms of the transaction are not disclosed.



Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, and employing more than 450 people, Jagex is one of the largest and most successful British video game studios, creating and publishing games for PC as well as mobile. The company is most famous for its online role-playing living game franchise RuneScape which has attracted more than 300 million accounts of players since its debut 20 years ago. Jagex has grown its RuneScape titles to a $1 billion business [11. These titles are enjoyed by millions of players around the world and are currently becoming extremely popular. In 2020, record numbers of players signing up, more than half of which reside in the United States.



The Carlyle Group is one of the largest and most diverse investment companies with $230 billion in assets under management. Runescape Carlyle will make use of its global network, knowledge and resources to assist Jagex as it continues to drive growth by developing the core RuneScape franchise through investments in R&D and increased rates of content release, as well as the launch of new titles to diversify its portfolio and connect with a wider group of players. Carlyle Partners (CP VII) and Carlyle Europe Technology Partners IV funds provided equity for the investment.



Phil Mansell, CEO of Jagex, said "I am extremely proud of the fact that Jagex is teaming up with Carlyle, an investment firm with a reputation for excellence who believes in the potential of Jagex and our plans for growth, and will help us in expanding our multi-year growth plan. We will continue to expand our game teams to create and deliver more great content for RuneScape and Old School RuneScape. We will continue to create exciting experiences for our players, expand our global communities, create new games that expand and further explore the RuneScape universe, and offer our expertise to publish third-party games from similar online game developers and invest in the incredible tech and talent that powers this all."



Patrick McCarter, Managing Director at Carlyle Patrick McCarter, Carlyle's managing director, added: "The global video games market is large and expanding, and within this the global massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) sub-sector is particularly appealing. We were impressed by Jagex's market position and strong track record in revenue growth and market share growth. The team is also skilled and enthusiastic.



Michael Wand, Managing Director at Carlyle Michael Wand, Carlyle's Managing Director, said: "RuneScape is one of the most enduring RPG franchises, and has an extremely loyal and dedicated player base. We are looking forward to drawing on the full resources of Carlyle to support Phil and his team in continuing to expand the existing RuneScape franchise and also creating new, exciting ones. We believe that with more investment and development, Jagex can build on its position as one of the most exciting video game developers , both for the new and existing generations of MMORPG players."



The end of the road



Notes to Editors - 2020 was a marquee Year for Jagex



RuneScape and Old School RuneScape achieved peak popularity and a new record of online subscribers with more than 1.2 million members as well as the additional millions of players who play RuneScape for free. Jagex continued to invest in the development of new content for the RuneScape franchise, commenced early-stage production of new games and hired top-tier game publishing and development talent. This led to more than 70 new job opportunities, which grew the headcount by c.20% annually.



2021 marks the 20th anniversary of RuneScape live game operations:



Epic 20th anniversary-themed content added to both games RuneScape will also be available on mobile devices running iOS and Android, and deliver cross-play functionality between mobile and PC platforms. Jagex will continue to expand its teams of game producers for the creation of new online games, in addition to expanding its publishing services to live games developed by its partners game studios that are part of its third-party publishing division, Jagex Partners The first Jagex Partners title will be released later this year.



Media Enquiries: The Carlyle Group EMEA: Andrew Kenny / +44 7816 176120 / [email protected] USA: Brittany Berliner / +1 212 813-4839 / [email protected]



Jagex Rich Eddy: [email protected] Jon Goddard: [email protected]



About Jagex A leader in creating immersive and exciting live games for PC and mobile devices, Jagex's MMORPG of the year, RuneScape, has welcomed almost 300 million player accounts to its game world and is a $1 billion lifetime revenue franchise. Today, the RuneScape franchise goes beyond operating live games and our games are real games that connect and inspire millions of players, with experiences and content within and outside of the endless game worlds. Both RuneScape and Old School RuneScape both on PC and mobile, offer constantly changing, highly active environments and our community-oriented development ethos empowers players to participate in the way that each game is developed. Now we're expanding and extending our range of franchise games and brand new IP that will give life to the live games of the future. Jagex employs more than 450 people in its Cambridge headquarters. Career information can be found at www.jagex.com/careers



About The Carlyle Group: The Carlyle Group (NASDAQ : CG) is an international investment company with deep industry expertise and invests private capital in three business sectors: Global Private Equity and Global Credit, and Investment Solutions. Carlyle has $230 billion of assets under management as at September 30, 2020. Its purpose is to invest intelligently and generate value for its investors, portfolio companies, and the communities where we reside and invest. Carlyle Group employs over 1,800 people in 30 offices across six continents. Further information can be found on www.carlyle.com. Follow The Carlyle Group on Twitter @OneCarlyle.


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