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AppLovin Acquired Machine Zone in 2020. Who Owns It Now?

AppLovin acquired Machine Zone in May 2020 for a reported $328.6 million. Machine Zone’s games later transferred to Tripledot Studios in AppLovin’s 2025 gaming-business sale.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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AppLovin completed its acquisition of mobile-game developer Machine Zone on May 19, 2020. Its 2021 fiscal-year Form 10-K, filed in 2022, reported an aggregate acquisition price of $328.6 million. Machine Zone later transferred to Tripledot Studios when AppLovin completed the sale of its mobile gaming business in 2025.

When did AppLovin acquire Machine Zone?

AppLovin announced a formal agreement on May 14, 2020; the announcement was distributed through PR TIMES the following day. At the time, the companies said the terms were undisclosed. AppLovin’s later SEC filing states that it completed the acquisition on May 19, 2020, acquiring all outstanding Machine Zone shares and settling Machine Zone debt. AppLovin’s 2020 announcement · AppLovin’s 2021 Form 10-K

How much did AppLovin pay?

AppLovin reported an aggregate acquisition price of $328.6 million in its 2021 fiscal-year Form 10-K, filed in 2022. That later accounting figure was not disclosed in the initial announcement. The filing breaks the total into three components:

  • $287.1 million in cash paid to Machine Zone lenders
  • $38.2 million fair value for warrants issued to lenders and preferred stockholders
  • $3.3 million to settle preexisting accounts receivable

The components add up to the reported $328.6 million total. AppLovin’s 2021 Form 10-K

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Why did AppLovin buy Machine Zone?

AppLovin said it intended to combine Machine Zone’s games, people and technology with its own marketing and monetization capabilities, and to develop new mobile games. The announcement framed the deal as a way to bring together complementary strengths; those statements describe the company’s rationale, not proof that the expected products or financial benefits followed. AppLovin’s 2020 announcement

Machine Zone CEO Kristen Dumont described a similar intended fit between the studio’s mid-core game expertise and AppLovin’s casual games and marketing platform. AppLovin co-founder and CEO Adam Foroughi praised Machine Zone’s games and player community. These were executives’ views at announcement, rather than independent assessments of the deal’s results.

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What games did Machine Zone make?

Machine Zone’s official pages identify a portfolio of free-to-play mobile games, particularly strategy titles. The company says it was founded in 2008 and lists these games and launch years:

  • Game of War: Fire Age (2013), presented on the company’s games page as an MMO about building a kingdom and forming alliances
  • Mobile Strike (2015), described as a real-time modern-warfare strategy game
  • Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire (2017)

The strategy focus helps explain why AppLovin described Machine Zone’s capabilities as complementary to its own game businesses. The game descriptions and history come from Machine Zone’s own pages. Machine Zone’s about page · Machine Zone’s games page · AppLovin’s 2020 announcement

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Who owns Machine Zone now?

Machine Zone was included in AppLovin’s 2025 sale of its mobile gaming business to Tripledot Studios. AppLovin announced that the sale had closed and listed Machine Zone among the 10 studios transferred. Thus, Machine Zone is no longer part of AppLovin’s gaming portfolio; the cited announcement identifies Tripledot as the buyer. It does not disclose the sale price. AppLovin’s 2025 sale-completion announcement

Foroughi said the divestiture would streamline AppLovin around its core business and allow it to focus on future opportunities. This marked a strategic shift from AppLovin’s 2020 stated plan to combine its marketing and monetization capabilities with Machine Zone’s games. The available company releases and filing do not establish the acquisition’s long-term return on investment or individual games’ performance after the deal. AppLovin’s 2025 sale-completion announcement

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  • 【Easy Setup – Power On & Play Instantly!】We recommend attaching the magnetic stickers to a phone case for all phones, rather than using a bare phone. ✅ For Apple MagSafe Models: Snap the magnetic ring onto your MagSafe phone case, power on, and start gaming! ✅ For Non‑MagSafe Models: First attach the included magnetic sticker to your phone case, then snap the magnetic ring onto it. Power on and game right away!
  • 【Wide Compatibility – Android & iPhone】Compatible for Android devices, iPhones, and card-size phones (Android devices and iPhone 11/SE and earlier models; iPhone 12/13/14/15/16/17 with MagSafe). Works with all mainstream phones for smooth gaming. Fits iPhone Pro/Pro Max models but may feel top-heavy. Not compatible with foldable phones.
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  • 【Born for Retro Emulators on Mobile】Designed for retro gaming fans, the M4 Controller works smoothly with top emulators such as Delta, RetroArch and PPSSPP on both iOS and Android.It supports classic games for platforms including Game Boy, NES, SNES,3DS, FC, SFC, SS, N64, GBA, GBC, NDS, and more.
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What did Machine Zone contribute financially in 2020?

AppLovin’s 2021 fiscal-year Form 10-K reports Machine Zone revenue of $113.8 million and a pre-tax loss of $89.7 million for the period from May 19 through December 31, 2020. These are figures for that partial year after the acquisition date, not full-year standalone results. AppLovin’s 2021 Form 10-K

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