PTW America acquired Ghostpunch Games’ game-development outsourcing business, with the transfer closing on September 1, 2024. Pole To Win Holdings disclosed an estimated acquisition price of US$13.15 million. PTW announced the deal on August 27, 2024, and later unified its international brands, including Ghostpunch, under the Side name in March 2025.
What PTW acquired
The precise scope matters: Pole To Win Holdings described the transaction as PTW America taking over Ghostpunch Games, LLC’s game-development outsourcing service business, not as an acquisition of the entire LLC or every asset. The parent company’s August 2024 disclosure gives the specific business scope and estimated price. Side’s public announcement described Ghostpunch as joining the PTW family of brands, a simpler summary that does not spell out the transaction structure.
When the deal was announced and closed
| Milestone | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement and acquisition disclosure | August 27, 2024 | Side announced Ghostpunch would join the PTW brand family; Pole To Win Holdings disclosed the business transfer and estimated price. |
| Business transfer closed | September 1, 2024 | The parent company later reported this as the closing date. |
| Brand unification | March 2025 | PTW said its international brand family, including Ghostpunch Games, was brought under the Side brand. |
The closing date comes from Pole To Win Holdings’ post-acquisition update; the brand change was announced by Side in its March 2025 announcement.
How much PTW paid—and what the reported figures mean
Pole To Win Holdings listed an estimated acquisition price of US$13.15 million in its August 2024 disclosure. It is an estimate reported by the parent company, not an independently verified valuation.
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In its later update, the parent company reported the acquired business’s contribution for the four months from September through December 2024: ¥477 million in sales, ¥121 million in operating profit before goodwill amortization, and ¥13 million after goodwill amortization. These are historical, company-reported results for that four-month period—not a full-year result, a current run rate, or a forecast.
Why PTW said it wanted the business
Side presented the deal as a way to strengthen PTW’s development services, including co-development and porting. Pole To Win Holdings described the acquisition as adding game-development outsourcing alongside the services it already offered. Its post-close update said former Ghostpunch management had been integrated into PTW America and assigned roles intended to expand development outsourcing globally. It also described plans to cross-sell the service to existing customers and use it to attract work that could lead to other services, such as game testing. These are the companies’ stated rationale and plans, not evidence of later results.
What was said about Ghostpunch
In its acquisition announcement, Side described Ghostpunch as an independent development studio based in South Florida and cited work with EA, Gearbox Software, Bethesda Game Studios, and 2K. Side CEO Deborah Kirkham also called Ghostpunch a respected development partner and cited a talent-retention rate above 90%. Those descriptions and the retention figure are claims from the acquiring company’s announcement, not independently audited findings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is Ghostpunch Games now Side?
PTW announced in March 2025 that its international brand family, including Ghostpunch Games, was unified under Side. That establishes the announced brand change; the cited materials do not establish Ghostpunch’s detailed operating status, staffing, or service footprint as of October 8, 2026.
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