Playstack, the publisher of the popular indie game Balatro, is being acquired by VantageCo, a company owned by Integrated Media Company (IMC). IMC also owns Fandom and GameSpot.
The deal values Playstack at around $169 million and awaits final shareholder approval.
Playstack CEO Harvey Elliott said the acquisition is mainly a change in ownership and that the company’s plans and day-to-day operations are expected to remain the same.
The news has sparked backlash because the same parent company will now own both a game publisher and major gaming media outlets.